Salve Regina
by MarandaWrites
Summary: Dorothy is a teenager, living with fear of never being able to achieve happiness. She somehow finds herself back in Oz, but not out of choice. Oz is in more trouble than ever before, but can Dorothy help? EDITED AND COMPLETED
1. I

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Wizard of Oz Books, movies, etc. **

**A/N: Well, hello **_**mon aime! **_**This story takes place after the movie ****Return To Oz****. If you have not seen it, it's alright, but I advise you search it online to see what it's about. This story will have some of the characters from the movie, which is why I'm letting you know where they're coming from. Hope you like this. . Anyways, on with the show! By the way, this fic isn't gonna have to do with the books; only the movies. Some of the chars might be OOC.**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

I

Sunlight poured delicately, almost reaching even the darkest corners. An emerald city stood proudly beyond a poppy field. Within the walls of the tallest building, a king sat, contemplating about tough situations from the past. Miles away, in a deep forest, stood another king, brave and strong, ready for any intruders. He would strike if the opportunity arose. Lucky for him, a nearby woodsman's house was occupied by a loving man who held very impressive chopping skills with his axe. He would never let anything unfortunate happen near his habitat. These three men knew one another, and were best friends. _King Scarecrow of Emerald City, King Lion of the Forest, and The Tinman of Oz. _

Oz was a known land, not by many outsiders, but by many dreamers. For years it had been inhabited by evil, until a little girl dropped a house on a wicked witch. The little girl ventured into Oz to defeat the sister of the witch whom she had killed. Whence completed, the little girl left Oz in a celebratory state. However, the little girl returned to Oz to help again. She defeated the Gnome King who in an angry fit, stole the ruby slippers, and turned the Scarecrow and his friends into emerald ornaments. He almost turned the little girl and her army into ornaments as well. With the aid of Tik-Tok, Pumpkinhead, The Gump, and some faith, the Gnome King had his fall in a regicide. Thus, the honor and adoration of Dorothy Gale, Savior of Oz.

Wheelers skated anxiously around the Great Castle of Ozma. Wheelers were full grown men in snazzy uniforms, and their hands and feet were not human; They were wheels. Ozma, however old she became, would always appear as a beautiful, young lady. Her crown of diamonds were always worn, for she was the Queen of Oz. Her power did not consist of overwhelming magic, but she always lit up a room without trying. Any bachelor in Oz would have loved to date Ozma, but didn't for fear of disappointing her.

All of the know parts in Oz were carefully watched by King Scarecrow. King Lion only guarded the forests so no unwanted creature or animal left its territory. If they do, Wheelers, who were no longer malicious, would scout the land to take care of pests. Oz, in a nutshell, was a very cared for land. There were no reasons for anymore problems to occur.

_Of course, without problems, this story would not be written._

Sunlight poured mysteriously into Dorothy Gale's window. She turned on her radio, only to hear bad news. Dorothy, now age eighteen, felt that childish nonsense should no longer take place in her life. Hence her haulted dreams of wonder. Some years ago, coming back from her last visit to the Land of Oz, Dorothy's dog Toto had to be put to sleep. He had gotten bit by a rabid animal, and there was no other way out of death. Ever since, Dorothy has had trouble trusting everyone. She no longer dreampt of candy and adventures over rainbows, but now held nightmares of suicide and depression. Her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry payed attention to every wish, every demand of Dorothy's after her return to Kansas those years ago. However, the concerned guardians could not shake the oncoming hit of teenage angst and frustration.

"God, I hate this radio! When the _hell_ can I move out and get my own house? I would be happy with my _own_ possessions.." Dorothy started her daily habit of complaining. Then she shut her radio and began to cry. She truly hated her miniscule room, for she had grown out of it. Yet, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry couldn't afford to give a bigger room because their crops weren't selling as well this year with another drought in effect.

Aunt Em rushed upstairs, "What's wrong, honey?"

"..Nothing," Dorothy lied, wiping the tears away, "Just the normal stuff. I don't understand why we have to stay here in Kansas anymore. There's nothing for us out in this dusty, drought-ridden place! When will we have enough money to leave?"

"We can't move. Your Uncle and I have been over this with you thousands of times. The land is perfect for our crops when there isn't a drought. This year is the first drought in over five years, and we need to keep the business going. When you're older you will understand business ethics. You can do anything you want. It's summer, and the sun is glowing on your pretty face. Go have some fun." Aunt Em smiled to comfort her niece.

Thinking for a moment, Dorothy responded, "Fine, I'll go outside and die of a heat stroke."

"That's _not_ funny, **Dorothy Gale**! Stop saying those things."

Without waiting around for more talk with her Aunt, Dorothy rushed outside. She soon felt like ice cream melting under the sun, but at least she was away from her small room. If only she had her trusty dog to play with.

0o0o

In Oz, Ozma was looking for her crown. She placed it down onto a table for one moment, and it suddenly disappeared. This was the one reason Ozma fancied wearing her crown constantly. Now crawling on the floor, she bumped into two wheels. She looked up and saw Nudge, the head Wheeler, standing over her.

"Oh, Nudge, how can I help you?" Ozma stood up and adjusted herself.

Nudge spoke in an accented voice, "Actually, I was going to update you on outside situations. Everything's fine. Of course, that doesn't include you crawling on the floor. What's wrong, your Majesty?"

"I lost my crown. I placed it on the dining table only to return and see it missing. Do you know where it is?" Ozma seemed to be very upset.

"Hmmm," Nudge scratched his head, "No, don't know where it is. Sorry."

Ozma dismissed Nudge, and went back to searching for her precious crown. A few minutes into her search, she heard some strange noises coming from her ballroom. Ozma ran downstairs to see what the commotion was. . . and screamed at what her eyes watched.

0o0o

Dorothy was laying in the grass, spotting shapes in clouds. It was a boring task, but someone had to finish it. As she became tired of doing nothing, a thought popped in her head. Standing up, Dorothy ran to her Uncle's tool shed and quickly searched a shelf above the entrance. Her blue sundress almost got stuck on the ladder, but once she found what she had looked for, her priority wasn't a little rip in her clothes. She placed a wooden box on the cutting table and opened it. Coins and dollar bills stared Dorothy straight in the eye. She took a deep breath and stole at least half of the savings. Her guilty conscience didn't really bother her as she placed the box where she found it. The money was placed in a small, drawstring bag, and hung from her wrist.

With a sprinting start for the dirt road nearby, Dorothy was ready to hit town.

Until she saw two healdights heading towards her. . .


	2. II

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plot and a few new characters who come gradually in the story.**

**A/N: Chap one was basically a descriptive intro. This is where things pick up.**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

II

The Great Castle of Ozma had a beautiful ballroom. Mirrors placed against the walls, which were in a hexagonal shape. Almost everyone loved the painted ceiling that portrayed angels and faeries flying. The floor was marble, and a pale white color. Despite the beauty, there was an ugliness that resided in it when Ozma walked in. It was a man around twenty years of age, dressed in a black ensemble to match his short, full black hair. His eyes were either the black of a midnight sky, or the darkest brown that Ozma had ever seen. The man only stood in the middle of the ballroom, but Ozma had never seen him before. Thus, he was an intruder.

Ozma saw the man holding her glimmering crown, and she quickly yelled for the Wheelers. However, they could not hear her. She knew this was so, but wanted to scare the man away. Her plan didn't work.

"No need to scream, darling," The man's voice was attractively malevolent, "No one will harm you..._besides me_.."

Ozma began to panic, "W...What do you want?"

"Only you, your castle, your crown, your land, and all of Oz..That's not too much to ask for, is it?" Obviously the man was being smart.

"Who are you? Why do you want Oz?"

Sighing, the man pressed on, "Do we have to go through the whole introduction spheel? I am Damion, and I want what's mine."

"**Nothing** is yours! I've never seen you before, and I know everybody, every being, every creature in Oz!"

"How touching..The reason you haven't seen me," Damion stepped closer to Ozma, "is because I've been in hiding, _genius_. Now, enough chitter-chatter. I want to show you something..."

Ozma stayed where she was, but Damion walked to her and pulled her to his destination. He dragged her forcefully to the center of the ballroom, and they both vanished.

0o0o

_"Owww_, my head..." Dorothy woke up and realized that she had gotten hit by a truck. She rubbed her throbbing head and kept her eyes closed.

Dorothy continued, "Damn, Uncle Henry is going to murder me when he finds out I tried to runaway again."

Slowly, Dorothy's hazel eyes adjusted to the sunlight, and opened wide in shock. She jumped nearly out of her skin at the view of her surroundings. She sat up and realized her feet were two inches away from a desert.

"The Deadly Desert..." Dorothy stood up and glanced around, "_No!_ I'm in Oz again? Oh no..." She shook her head and stepped away from the Deadly Desert.

A large oak tree was situated behind Dorothy, so she leaned against it for a moment.

_If I'm here again, _She thought, _then something must be wrong. But how am I going to help them when I stopped believing a long time ago? Plus, I have my own damned problems to face. I don't need Oz's problems too. Although, seeing my old friends might be kind of interesting._

0o0o

King Scarecrowhad a very keen sense of danger. Except when he was sleeping, and ironically, he was doing so. Wheelers alerted Emerald City that something was awry in The Great Castle. When the news reached Scarecrow, he had Lion and Tinman contacted for an emergency meeting in the Emerald Caves below the city's surface. This was recently built for any conferences or secret get-togethers with the King.

"...and Nudge said she was nowhere to be found..It's a pretty big castle, so I can't imagine her not being there!" Scarecrow had no time for hugs and greetings. He wanted to get right down to business.

Lion placed on paw on the stone table at which they sat, "Ozma is missing. Someone needs to send for the army to search the grounds of the castle."

"No," Tinman interjected, "We just need to send a spy over there to search. Don't get me wrong, the Wheelers do a fantastic job, but we need special aid. There is no way she could have gone anywhere. She always alerts you, Scarecrow, when she leaves the castle."

"Then you know what me must do," Scarecrow nodded his head, "We must call on Munchkin City, ask them to call Glinda. We will have her check the castle out. She can use her magic to detect whether Ozma is in trouble or not."

0o0o

Grass seemed to be getting taller in each of Dorothy's confused steps. She didn't know quite where she was going, but away from the Deadly Desert was her main objective. The Deadly Desert would turn anyone who touched it into sand. Although it sounds unharmful, it kills you by the slightest touch. There would be no second chance to take your toe out of harm's way.

Dorothy gasped as she initiated her walk through the tallest field of grass she had ever seen. It was at least a foot higer than her, and she wasn't able to see her way through it. The green color got on her nerves, but a squeaking noise distracted her. Without second thought, Dorothy sprinted through the grass field, not stoping for a breath. The squeaking followed her, closely and loudly. Her deep, quick breathing soon changed into sobs.

_Thump_

Her fall was graceful like a ballet dancer leaping into the air, and then landing safely on their tip-toes. Dorothy sobbed into the ground as the grass entrapped her. The squeaking noise was the loudest now that it caught up to its victim.

"Don't...hurt...me" Dorothy's muffled voice pleaded. She wasn't this easily scared often, but for her reasons alone, she didn't trust Oz anymore.

The squeaking haulted, and a man's voice echoed in the air, "I won't hurt you. I wasn't aware of your identification. My appologies, Miss Gale."

Turning to face the voice, Dorothy was shocked to see a wheeler in front of her. His kind eyes locked with hers as he helped her off of the dirty ground.

"I'm so glad to see you're alright. The thought of an intruder crossed my mind when I heard someone had entered Oz. Oh," He noticed her glaring hatefully at the grass, "don't worry about the grass. It's part of our new security. It's supposed to grow as you deepen your march into the field. This is Spen Field, named solely after it's creator, _me_! Eventually, as you walk in here, the Wheelers are well on their way to catching a cluprit. However, there are some distractions today, so only I am on Field duty."

"Well, Spen, thank you for the lecture, but I want to go home. I don't believe in Oz anymore." A sullen look was now on Dorothy's face.

Spen frowned, "At least let me walk you out of this field.." He didn't want to pay attention to her last comment.

"_Fine_.."

0o0o

Time was ticking by and Glinda, the Good Witch, was trying her hardest to see, with her magic, where Ozma went. Unfortunately, her magic had been shielded. The Great Castle never used to have a magic shield on it, for safety's sake. This new feature was definitely a sign that something or someone didn't want to be found there.

"Your Majesty," Glinda addressed King Scarecrow and explained the situation.

Scarecrow wondered, "Do you think something is happening that we aren't aware of?"

"Apparently. Though, I wouldn't understand if a person put that shield on the castle because no one has that much magic in Oz except for me. Ozma has some power, but not much." Now hard at work in the thought process, Glinda and Scarecrow called Nudge to Emerald City.

Nudge hurried over as soon as he had heard, from the flying monkey-messengers, that even _Glinda_ could not see inside the castle. Now the three sat in the throne room, conferencing about who to call on next, and what to do. They didn't know if they should just go in the castle or not since Ozma wasn't even in there.

"I think," Scarecrow stated, "we should call on Tik-Tok, leader of the army of Oz. If not, then I am out of ideas. Tell the rest of the Wheelers to go investigate again."

Nudge shouted, "_They checked over five times! Every floor!_ _Every room_.."

They continued to come up with horrible ideas, so Tik-Tok was called on to enter the castle and search.

0o0o

Damiongleefully stared at the ballroom ceiling. He laughed to himself and then hid in the shadows again. His magic sheilded Glinda from seeing inside of the castle. Of course Damion knew that Scarecrow would send in creatures and people to investigate. This didn't scare him at all, for he had his own plans. His beliefs revolved around taking Oz into his own hands, and eventually taking over. He would avenge his parents...and stop anyone who got in the way of success. Especially Dorothy Gale.


	3. III

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plot and my Damion. lol and the names of the Wheelers**

**A/N: Chapter three... hope it goes well. **

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

III

"Dorothy," Spen walked side-by-side with his new friend and asked, "Why did you stop believing in Oz? I mean, you _are _here, and you have no choice except to believe in what you see."

"I don't have to believe in anything I see. Maybe this is just a dream. After all, I got hit by a truck before I got here. That's probably it. I'm knocked out, in a coma, and there's nowhere my mind can go except Oz." Dorothy felt she gad everything figured out.

Approaching the end of Spen Field, the confused Wheeler spoke, "So, no one sent for you? You just came on your own pretty much, right?"

"What? No! I wouldn't have come here if I had a choice," She sighed, "I'd rather be dead right now. No offense, but it's all because of stupid Oz that everyone thought I was insane, and also that my dog was put to sleep. It's all because of Oz. Both times that I came here, I always got kicked out. It's like I had a sign on my back that said, _Please banish me and let me go back to my hell of a home._"

Spen murdered the subject, "Your dog had to be put to sleep because of Oz?"

Dorothy didn't respond. Her and Spen walked to Emerald City silently. The walk wasn't long, but it felt lonely to Dorothy. She was next to a Wheeler, a creature she used to be afraid of, and yet she found comfort in the morbid thought of the Wheelers killing her. Dorothy Gale was no longer a slap-happy female.

0o0o

Forestswere always protected by King Lion. If he was not present, the righteous animals would keep watch. Lion felt that he would go search for Ozma himself in the Great Castle. It was so strange that the Queen would just disappear with no trace of departure.

"_Hello_?" Lion entered the Great Castle, intaking a breath of sweet smelling perfume.

No answer. Silence lingered in the air. King Lion pranced about the first floor, and heard a ticking noise escape the ballroom, which was only a few rooms away. Turning the corner to face the ballroom doors and their pinkish presentation, the ticking noise did not stop. A deep breath was sucked in by the Lion as he pushed the doors open with his front paw.

Tik-Tok, the round-bellied-iron-man with a round head, stood like a statue in the center of the ballroom. Lion went to his side and looked on Tik-Tok's back. Tik-Tok always had to be wound up by a key on his back in order to function mentally, physically, and emotionally. Despite the fact that he was a machine, he could still cry oil tears. But not at the moment.

Glancing at the wind-up-key, Lion stated, "You are all wound up! Why aren't you moving?"

"_Let's just say he's not here at the moment.." _Damion appeared from behind Lion.

"**Who are you?**" Lion roared.

Damion laughed, amused by the repeated question he had heard from Ozma and Tik-Tok previously, "I'm Damion. Now, you wonder why no one can find Ozma? Well, she's here. Take a look around...You could find her easily if you only looked. I gave your metal friend here a chance to find her, but he failed. So I paralized him with magic. _Don't look at me like I'm evil.._You don't know my story. I would tell you, but I'm really tired of repeating myself. So, I'm just going to skip all the talking and let you find your precious Queen."

With another ear-piercing roar, Lion leapt for Damion. In only entrapment of laughter, Damion cast a spell on Lion. Soon, he was frozen, speechless, quite like Tik-Tok.

0o0o

"You're back, Dorothy!" An enlighted stout man greeted Dorothy and Spen as they reached the Welcome Gates of Emerald City.

As her usual way of showing indifference, Dorothy rolled her eyes. She then followed Spen into the glittering green gorgeousness of Emerald City. The city had changed slightly from the last time Dorothy remembered seeing it. The buildings seemed taller, more materialized, and intimidating. The roads were paved with Emeralds, glimmering and sparkling at people who passed by. The City went from a barely populated place, to one of the most popular parts of Oz.

Spen smiled broadly at the taken back look in Dorothy's face. He tapped her on the shoulder with his wheel-hand, "Would you like to look around?"

"Umm..Why not? I have nothing better to do." She had a sense of arrogance in her voice, but she felt it was better to be in Oz then at home. She thought maybe forgetting all of her dreams and friends in this land wasn't the greatest idea. After all, how could she just throw away a chunk of her life?

Then again, Dorothy really was depressed, so she simply had acceptance problems in her old, favorite land.

"**Spen!**," Nudge, The Head Wheeler, came around a corner, approaching the two.

With a smile, Spen greeted his friend and said, "I found Dorothy Gale in Spen Field. This is her.."

"Well I'll be damned!" Nudge looked over Dorothy's long, brown, curling hair, and straight into her shining eyes, "My father knew you, but died of age not too long ago. How are you, Miss Gale?"

Dorothy sighed accidentally, "I'm...Alright.I'd like to know who sent for me and why I'm here. My life's goal was to forget about Oz, but now, _obviously_, I'm going to have trouble with that."

"_Hmm_," Nudge though for a moment, "I was thinking, and . . .I'm not sure what to think. The King might've sent for you. Oh..Spen, The King wants all of us wheelers to join him for a meeting. Come on."

Impatiently, Dorothy stomped her foot before she followed the Wheelers. The building at which 'The King' lived was very tall, very intimidating, but very inviting. The security guards let the three visitors pass without any questions, for they knew exactly who the girl was. A few minutes passed tiringly on the staircase, and at last the two wheelers and Dorothy reached an elevator.

Reaching the tip-top floor, Dorothy was in awe at the rich-looking enviroment. She soon came inches away from '_The King's' _office. Knocking on the door, Spen was a bit taken-aback by the sound of thrashing and crashing in the office. The doors opened themselves, and the three stepped inside.

_"Scarecrow..." _Whispering, Dorothy frowned as she saw Scarecrow rummaging through his desk; making a mess in the worst way.

Alas, King Scarecrow peeked up from his desk and gasped, "_**Dorothy!**_" He jumped over his mess and ran to Dorothy, practically knocking her onto the floor with a hug.

They let go of their hugging moment, whence Dorothy realized how worried the Scarecrow seemed.

"No news from the Wheelers. Most of them are comin', but I were informed that a few are stayin' o'er near the castle jus' in case." Nudge reported his information to Scarecrow, who looked upset at his own mess in the office.

"Dorothy," The King began, "I haven't seen you forever. How did you get here without someone sending for you?"

The room became quiet, except for Dorothy's clear voice, "No one sent for me?...A truck hit me when I was ru-- _trying_ to walk down the street. Then I woke up, and here I am."

A confused facial expression took over everyone's face, except for Dorothy. Spen and Nudge exchanged odd looks at each other, and Scarecrow tried to contemplate an explanation for his old friend's sudden Oz visit.

"Well..._How did you get here? _No one is allowed in unless invited by Supreme Officials or the royals of Oz. Including me, King Lion, and Ozma. the Tinman also could invite you, but obviously he didn't, for we would have known about it!" Scarecrow finished speaking and walked over to his desk, which appeared to be falling over from the heavy pile of papers on top.

Nudge, Spen, and Dorothy took a seat on a couch in the right corner of the room. They all sighed as Scarecrow tried to pick up everything.

"What were you looking for?" Spen asked curiously.

The friendly voice of the Scarecrow was heard over the shuffling of papers, "The history of who's been in The Great Castle within the past year. I had it somewhere, but I don't recall where I placed it. Perhaps I gave it to my secretary, Sierra. No..._she _wouldn't have any important use from it.."

"Any luck in finding Ozma?" Spen questioned the King for the second time.

Dorothy blurted, "_The Queen's in trouble?" _

Nudge, Spen, and the Scarecrow sighed, and explained the problem in full detail. Dorothy was alert like a shark, ready for the story of Ozma's dissappearance.


	4. IV

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plot and few characters**

**A/N: Yeah sorry bout the television thing. I wasn't sure what age it was in, so I winged it and took a chance. But thank you for the reviews and letting me know what year it took place in. I replaced t.v with radio because at least they had a few of those around. no, I don't go to Salve Regina school. I actually got the phrase from my latin class. but thank you for the review Jules and tribemaster. I don't know why, but if I had to put a picture on Damion, I'd say he was the guy from Red Eye..and Batman as the evil dude.. Just a random thought. **

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

IV

Luring a victim into a trap was never easy for Damion. He hadn't even tried capturing Tik-Tok or The Lion. They just went to the castle to find Ozma. With Ozma hidden away, Damion would soon move everyone out of the way, and come across his worst enemy, Dorothy Gale. From birth, Damion knew someday he would have a nemesis, for that's all his parents talked about. Though Damion frowned upon his parents at times, he wished they were still alive to aid him in this escapade. For some reason, a tiny part of his soul didn't want to avenge his mom or dad. Some part of him only wanted to join Oz with no one to degrade him or shun him. Yet with the parents he had had, there was no way anyone would care for his well-being.

Staring at the Lion's immobile body was no fun to Damion, so he moved the Lion and Tik-Tok to a backroom behind the ballroom. He knew he couldn't stay in the Great Castle and wait for anyone else to come. He had to disguise himself and find other threats to destroy. However, he wouldn't dare go near Dorothy. He knew she was in Oz; Damion could sense it, but to attack her head on would be a stupid plan. Dorothy always had allies and defense on her side, so Damion needed to think up a plan for her. A special plan for his enemy.

The Tin Man chopped wood from an oak tree nearby his cottage. With no warning, rain started to pour. Damion stood in the darkest corner of the cottage, waiting patiently as an ax hanging on the wall. He had transformed himself into the Tin Man's most powerful ax, and threw the real one out of sight. Soon the Tin Man came into his little house and sat by a roaring fire, dying off from the rain. He whistled a joyful tune, one that dreadfully annoyed Damion.

Walking over to the wall where his most poweful ax was, The Tin Man picked it up from the wall and studied it. The ax, Damion, stayed still, waiting for the perfect chance to act on his plan.

"Wow you are quite dirty today, ax," Said the Tin Man, "I think it's time for a bath."

They reached the sink, and the ax was placed in an iron-cleaning solution. Damion as the ax began to raise himself out of the sink, spillnig solution everywhere as the Tin Man cursed. He had no idea what was going on.

"My ax is alive!" Shouted the Tin Man as he backed away.

Damion flew at Tin Man, hitting him in the chest, denting his body. Again, the ax hit, and again, and again. The Tin Man shouted in pain and fell to the ground in a pile of scraps. Damion turned hmiself back into his human self and laughed at the scraps of tin. Then, he took a pale of water and poured in on the Tin Man to let him rust.

"That's what you get," Damion stated gleefully as he transported back to the Castle, "for making a man made out of tin."

0o0o

"That's terrible!" Dorothy Gale was shocked that Ozma dissappeared into thin air. She wouldn't expect anything bad from Oz, but with the Queen gone what could happen?

"Yeah," King Scarecrow agreed, "I don't know what else to do."

"_Mom's gone again...Mom's gone again_!" An almost childish voice was heard from outside the Scarecrow's office.

The doors swung open, revealing Jack the Pumpkinhead. He staggered a bit, apparently in a panicking mood. His head was a pumpkin, with carvings of a smiling jack-o-lantern. His body was created from tree branches, covered in very thin clothing. Jack was made originally to scare Princess Mombi away, but she used The Powder Of Life to bring Jack into a state of living. Ozma was his mother, for she was the one who made him in the first place.

"Jack!" Dorothy jumped up and gave her Pumpkinhead friend a huge hug, "I'm so sorry to hear about Ozma."

They both sat down, and Jack spoke, "I was going to visit Munchkin City today, but when I went to say goodbye to Mom, she was gone. No one was in the castle."

"When did you go?" Scarecrow questioned, finally picking up the remainder of his mess.

"No longer than a half-hour ago. I searched everywhere, but no Mom. She never leaves me without telling me where she is going." Jack sighed in sadness.

Spen added, "She never leaves her castle withuot telling _someone_."

"Well, we mustn't keep the Wheelers waiting," Scarecrow announced, "Spen, Nudge, let's go meet the others in the underground room. Dorothy, Jack, you can either stay here or leave. If you leave, I wouldn't know where you two would go. Perhaps you two can go visit the Tinman and see if he has any ideas."

"We'll go see the Tinman," Dorothy decided, "I'm sure he'll have an idea. Do you want us to come back afterwards?"

"Umm, I'll just have Nudge or Spen find you. They travel fast, and it would prevent you from wasting time by coming back." The Scarecrow bade farewell as he and the two wheelers followed him out of the room.

Jack looked at Dorothy and asked, "Where have you been for all these years? Didn't Mom give you the option to come back if you ever needed to?"

"Jack," Dorothy sympathized for some reason, "I'm sorry I never came back, but there were things preventing me from coming. I just lost touch with everyone.. I didn't believe myself for a time."

"How could you not believe something _you _experienced?"

Dorothy replied with an uncaring voice, "I was insane. Everyone knew that. No matter how many doctors or medicines were thrown at me, the thought of Oz shook my brain for so long. I had to push myself to stop believing in some childish fantasy. Enough of that, though," She stood up, "We have to go see the Tinman. Even if I _am _dreaming, I should still help out a bit. Anything to get me out of here."

Without objecting, Jack stood next to Dorothy and followed her out of the building. After they left, she asked Jack to take the lead, for she wasn't exactly sure where the Tinman lived from the Emerald City. Exiting the city, Jack and Dorothy began their quest to the Tinman's neck of the woods, which was about thiry minutes away by walking. Not too far, but they still had a long ways to go, for the Enchanted Forest of Oz was not very friendly. This was an entirely different forest than the one the Lion lived in. This was a smaller forest, but held great dangers. The Tinman lived on the other side of it, and there was no way around the forest to reach where he lived. So off Dorothy and Jack went, in the direction of the Enchanted Forest. They hoped it wouldn't be as dangerous as some rumoured it to be.

"Do you think Mom is alright?" Jack asked while walking by Dorothy's side.

She looked up at Jack's kind, yet frightening face, "_I hope so_."


	5. V

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Wizard Of Oz or Return to Oz. Nothing is mine but the plot and a few new characters. **

**A/N: Lalalala... Here's more story for your enjoyment. **

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

V

"So why did you come here if you don't believe in us anymore?" Jack was very curious as to why Dorothy was in Oz.

She stepped over a large rock in an open field, which they were now in, and said, "I'm not sure. No one sent for me that I know of, so I really don't know. Like I said, I think I'm dreaming."

Dorothy would have loved to runaway from home, that was her plan before she got hit by a truck. That's why she took her Uncle's money, so she could use it to leave Kansas. She wanted to travel to somewhere far, far away, and live away from her Aunt and Uncle for the rest of her life. Yes, she loved her family, but they didn't understand her at all. Dorothy was no longer a child, so things were very different for her. A lot different for her.. Trying to live in an old, beat up house was very tiring. In fact, Dorothy had once considered commiting herself just to take some time away from the normal life she lived. Of course, her life wasn't near normal. Whose was? Anyone but her, especially after trying to kill herself several times. It wasn't her fault her Aunt left a razor on the nightstand. Nor was it her Uncle's fault for purchasing so much medicine. Suicide was not a joke to Dorothy.

"_There it is, Dorothy...The Enchanted Forest."_ Jack spoke in a soft voice, as though a spy would hear if he was any louder.

Gulping, Dorothy felt excited, yet fearful as well. If she wasn't dreaming, could she die in this place?

The forest begun with a row of very large, very intimidating trees that reached their arm-like branches up to the darkening sky. Jack began shaking so bad that Dorothy had to take his hand to comfort him. They walked hand-in-hand into the mystifying forest, ignoring the sounds of creaking, screaching, and squeaking. Dorothy had finally started to believe that she wasn't dreaming. It took a lot of things to trigger her mind into thinking she was really in Oz, but most of the reason came from being in this trepidacious forest.

Tightening his grip on Dorothy's hand, Jack asked, "Are you alright?"

"I should be asking _you _that question, Jack." She retorted playfully.

"Mom wouldn't be in here, would she?" Asked Jack as though he were filled with nothing but questions.

Thinking as she stepped over a dead tree branch, Dorothy said, "I don't think so. I don't even think Mombi would have come in here."

Jack quivered at the name _Mombi_, "Don't say her name, please. I get very upset hearing her name."

"Sorry," Dorothy appologized, "I'll try to remember that from now on. Let's hurry though," She heard another screach from atop a tree, "I want to get out of here."

"Hey," Jack let go of Dorothy's hand, "you said you thought you were dreaming, and that you don't believe in Oz. If so, then why are you afraid?"

She turned to face him in the darkness of the woods, "I am obviously not dreaming, for I would have woken myself up right now. However, I still hate Oz, real or not."

Frowning, Jack didn't respond. He knew Dorothy had her mind made up about Oz, and that it would take a miracle to change her outlook. If the spooks of the Enchanted Forest couldn't scare Dorothy into believing in Oz, then nothing could. So, on they went, Jack and Dorothy, deeper into the forest and deeper into fright.

0o0o

"We just sent out the Munchkins to search the boundaries of Oz. In a short time we will be notified." King Scarecrow sat on a tall, black and gold throne in front of a long and full table. Almost every wheeler had come to the secret meeting, in hope for finding their Queen.

A burst of chatter exploded into the room after the Scarecrow's statement. The army of Munchkins were searching the boundaries of Oz, some wheelers were scoping the land around the castle, and almost every creature in every forest was alert that Ozma vanished. How rediculous could this possibly become? Soon the Scarecrow mentioned that Dorothy Gale was on her way to finding the Tin Man, which shocked everyone. They didn't expect Dorothy, _the _Dorothy Gale, to be in Oz. No one sent for her...No one informed her of what was happening so that she could help out...No one knew why she was in Oz, but they sure did appreciate her help.

Spen spoke out, "How sure are you, Your Highness, that Dorothy will find the Tinman? Tik-Tok and The Cowardly Lion have disappeared, and-"

"_**They're gone!?**_" The Scarecrow was infuriated that no one informed him about the missing Army of Oz and King of the Forest.

"Yeah..." seemingly ashamed, Spen pressed on, "I only found out from Klek a few minutes ago."

Klek, a shy, hunched over wheeler, sat shamefully in the back of the room. His voice was barely above a whisper, "Tik-Tok and The Cowardly Lion failed to return to our quarters to report what they found. You sent them out, Your Highness, but they did not come back. I thought you would have noticed."

"How could I notice when I was busy informing Dorothy..." The Scarecrow was hit by a thought that was most shocking, "..Dorothy... Oh my straw Heavens, she wasn't sent by us...She must be linked to the missing couple, and perhaps Ozma as well."

"What are you trying to say, your Highness?" Nudge questioned curiously.

Taking a deep breath, Scarecrow spoke loud and clear, "Dorothy Gale has become evil. She has to be tied in with this whole situation with Ozma missing, for no one from Oz sent for her. She must've found a way to enter our world on her own...She must've found the Ruby Slippers and gained magical powers."

"But sir," A wheeler named Grunkey spoke in his deep voice, "The slippers have been missing for ages. No one has seen them since Dorothy dropped them in the Enchanted Forest when she left Oz the second time. Remember? They fell from the sky, and landed in a Willowrig's nest..The deadliest bird known in Oz. There's no way she could have taken them back."

Spen took the chance to argue with the King's opinion, "Plus, Dorothy said she was hit by a truck before getting here. I found her in Spen Field, so how could she have had anything to do with the Queen?"

"_Because,_" banging his fist on the table, Scarecrow went on angrily, "Don't you see? She wanted you to think that so she could get away with it. Dorothy must've teleported to Spen Field after hiding the Queen. That's the only possible explanation. And now, I have her with Jack! We must go find her, and bring her to my court for interrogation and accusation of a crime most terrible! **Wheelers! **Go find Dorothy in the Enchanted Forest and bring her back alive! She must be stopped at once!"

0o0o

The Enchanted Forest came to a hault when Jack and Dorothy ran from it. They caught their breath before adjurning to the Tin Man's house.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Dorothy knocked on the door of the tiny home, but no one answered.

Whining, Jack said, "He's not home! What're we going to do now? I'm not going back in that forest."

"Neither am I. We can't stay here, though.. Why don't we go to the Great Castle? Maybe the Tin Man's there. Plus, we could see for ourselves what's going on." Dorothy felt adventurous for a moment.

Nodding his pumpin head, Jack agreed, "Fine. Let's go. How long will it take to walk there?"

"I have no clue, Jack. Too bad there wasn't something to get us there."

_In the background, where the Forest ended, a giant bird apeared, ready to feast on its newly found lunch, including pumpkins and human flesh._


	6. VI

**A/N: Hey everyone! I know that this story has been left in the shadows for awhile. I'm ready to pick it up again and finish it. It's not done yet, but I'm thinking after the holidays or by New Year's. The only reason I say so long from now is because I have some twists in the story that I might write down, which would extend the story past what I planned. Anyways, Happy Holidays pretty soon... Time Flies.**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save the Queen)

VI

_"Can we outrun it?"_ Dorothy whispered to Jack, who was trembling from limb to limb.

The dark creature with eyes blood red stepped closer to its prey.

Jack struggled with words. "If . . . no . . . when . . . I . . . run . . . can't . . . fast . . . Willowrig."

"Willowrig?"

_"Door-oh-thee!" _A voice was heard. There was no possible way a creature so malicious would know Dorothy. Or speak her name for that matter.

"Deadliest monster in Oz," Jack spat.

Dorothy said, "I guess that means we can't outrun it. What're we to do, Jack?"

The midnight black bird screeched and outreached one of its wings. It lowered onto one knee, digging talons in the matted grass. The beast's head lowered, but kept its beedy eyes glued to Dorothy.

"It's ... **bowing!** Dorothy, the Willowrig is bowing to you!" Suddenly Jack wasn't so afraid.

However, confusion grasped the young Gale girl. She just hoped that confusion was the _only_ thing to grab her. She thought of possible escape routes. When that failed, she thought of _im_possible escape routes, only to find the same results. This was expected.

The Willowrig raised itself back on its two crow-like legs and blankly gazed back and forth at Jack and Dorothy. It screeched a high-pitched sound and flapped its enormous wings once in a subtle manner. It followed the empty expressions with another small wing flapping.

_"Door-oh-thee!" _This seemed to be the only word the creature could vocalize, no matter how awful it sounded.

Jack nervously laughed and said, "It wants you to climb on its back. All birds of Oz flap their wings that way when they want to bring you somewhere. But I don't know where it would take _you_. I wouldn't trust that bird if it found Mom for me."

"Thanks, Jack." Dorothy sarcastically added, "It's very helpful knowing how much you trust birds."

"We better climb on its back before it gets angry."

"Umm, sure." Dorothy stepped towards the side of the Willowrig. Jack followed her.

_I was already hit by a truck,_ Thought Dorothy, _why not board a deadly creature?_

0o0o

"Nudge, you take the east side! Klek, you take the west. I shall take the north with Spen and the others." A very tall and muscular wheeler named Trafford gave out orders. An army of wheelers prepared to enter the Enchanted Forest.

Spen entered first, not caring about the looming trees or unrecognizable noises. A few other wheelers rolled behind Spen. Grunkey squinted his eyes as though he would see through the trees for miles and know where Dorothy was. Trafford was the last one to enter the forest. He made sure all the wheelers had initiated the search safely.

0o0o

"I cannot believe this is happening," Said a cheerful Damion, "Dorothy is falling into a trap all on her own! Perfect. With the Scarecrow believing her the evil one, everything will rest in place sooner than I imagined. Mother and Father would sure be proud."

No one could hear his chatter. That didn't stop Damion from continuing on in an overly-happy tone. He looked up at the ceiling and clapped his hands together.

"Queen is doing well, I suppose?" Damion chuckled and left the ballroom into darkness.

He had some plans to finish and situations to interfere with.

0o0o

Nudge was the first to reach the Tin Man's hut. This was almost the end of the forest, and not a single whisper was heard anywhere. Not even the whisper of a wind. Klek met up with Nudge and updated him. He too, had found nothing.

With the entire army of wheelers clueless of Dorothy's location, the obligation of disappointing the King was in order. Grunkey was the first to appear frustrated with the failed mission.

"You know," He said sourly, "What if Dorothy knew we were going to look for her? Is there a possibility that she's left the forest on her own free will? She wouldn't want to stay in these woods anyhow. Trafford, we need to split up the army and search the whole of Oz. It is the only way of cornering her."

Considering the thirty-something number of wheelers, it wasn't surprising when an ear-splitting argument arose. Some wheelers wanted to give up, while some wanted to actually _murder _Dorothy for backstabbing the world that once accepted her. Either way, the abrupt loudness sure would give away their presence even if Dorothy hadn't known they were nearby.

**_"Quiet!" _**Trafford, the obvious leader of the group, spoke calmly after the rest hushed. "We will split up and search the land. If we notify the Flying Monkey League, or the Aviary, we can have an overhead perspective of the land. We might find Dorothy quicker this way, since it is easier to spot someone from the air. One of you, however, will report back to King Scarecrow. Let him know our tactics."

Klek rolled up to Trafford and said, "I will tell King Scarecrow. I _am _the reporting wheeler, after all."

"Fine." Said Trafford, eyes grazing the heads of each wheeler. "I will have . . . Klissa, you inform the Flying Monkey League. Nudge, you inform the Aviary of Oz. Now, I need all of my wheelers to split up into groups and roam the land. There is no time to waste. Let's not fail this time. A traitor is amongst our wonderful world, and we must not let her destroy it."

Each wheeler took on his or her role. Yes, there were women wheelers, but very few. Klissa, who's duty was to approach the Flying Monkey League, was a woman. She had been in the Wheeler Army for at least a decade. Although her auburn and pink-streaked hair fell below her shoulders, she was no passive wimp. Her strength rose above average for a woman, which made her all the more valuable to the army.

0o0o

"It sure is beautiful up here." Dorothy mumbled to herself.

Her and Jack had been riding through the air on the Willowrig for the past half hour. Where they were being taken didn't exactly matter at the moment. Neither one of them wanted to be dropped the hundreds of feet to the ground below.

"Dorothy, look!" Jack would've pointed, but he was busy holding securely onto sleek feathers.

Lifting her head slightly, Dorothy could see in the distance just what Jack had seen.

"Whoa."

Clearly, their destination lay before them. A colossal terrain of mountain stood prominently among a mixture of waterfalls, forest, and nests. Birds' nests. Giant bird nests. The nests rested on top of cliffs and hills. They were far to big to fit on the top of a tree.

Dorothy gasped as they neared the city of nests.

"Jack...What is this?" Dorothy could feel the blood leave her face. This place sent more than chills down her spine.

Trembling once again, Jack answered with trouble. "This . . . this is . . ."

"Let me guess," Dorothy said, face growing paler, "Willowrig territory?"

The pumpkinhead nodded, only Dorothy couldn't see. Her eyes were transfixed on an especially grim looking nest. It held empty egg shells a little smaller than the bird they were now on. Landing in the bird's home, Dorothy and Jack immediately scrambled to get off of the beast.

"Uh. You should know something, Dorothy." Jack gulped loudly.

Almost stepping on a piece of a shell, Dorothy asked, "What now?"

"This Willowrig in particular . . ."

"Out with it, Jack!"

"He's a baby."


	7. VII

**A/N: Mweeee. Ok, someone review please. I hope I didn't lose the people who actually liked this fic. Dang. **

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save the Queen)

VII

Flying mokeys used to work for the Wicked Witch of the West until she melted by means of a simple pail of water. The rest of the story was history, and every flying monkey praised Dorothy for ridding them of their malicious dictator. So when Klissa informed them that Dorothy had switched over to a morbid and destructive persona, the monkeys simply brushed it off with fits of giggles. And when Klissa stared them down with grave seriousness, they quickly believed.

"-so I need you all to fly over Oz. If you see Dorothy and Jack, inform any nearby wheelers. Do anything you need to make her stay put." Klissa finished speaking and rolled out of the Flying Monkey League Building.

One by one, the monkeys flew out of their homes and into the light sky. In a few hours, night would fall.

0o0o

King Scarecrow had been informed by Klek on the failed mission and new plans. The King wasn't pleased at all. Having a kind girl such as Dorothy transform into such a monster only added frustration to the already existing pile of it. No one felt as much heartache as the Scarecrow did when reality struck him. He used to love Dorothy as a best friend, and now she was the same as every other devilish thing. He couldn't conjure any reason why Dorothy would suddenly change for the worse.

Klek noticed the King's disappointed look. He said, "Sir, Dorothy is not the same person. You cannot dwell on this."

"You know nothing of Ms. Gale! Get out of my room until you have useful information to tell me." Scarecrow's temper rose, but he didn't feel like yelling.

Once the defeated wheeler left his sight, Scarecrow thought and thought. He had no idea how the Queen would be saved. _Of course, the Queen is no longer the only female who needs saving. _

0o0o

"You're telling me there's a bigger willlowrig flying about somewhere? How could these creatures get any worse?" Dorothy kept on questioning Jack, who wasn't as worried.

Jack said, "If this willowrig brought us here, after it said your name and bowed to you, then obviously this isn't as bad as you think."

"I don't care if this bird gives me flowers and candy. I'm not staying here." Suddenly, Dorothy no longer cared for her grudge against Oz. She wanted to hide, run, find somewhere safe.

The baby willowrig made a few soft noises and looked up into the sky. Dark figures flying in the air weren't too far away. Dorothy stared at the giant figures as they became clearer.

Jack sat down in the nest and said, "If we were going to die, we would have already."

"I hope that's how those willowrigs feel."

The shadows slowly emerged from the clouds, lowering nearer to the nest village. Some of the willowrig had blood red feathers and black eyes. About twenty willowrigs landed in their homes, getting comfortable despite the dropping temperature. A large red willowrig swooped towards Dorothy, barely missing her head. It landed just outside of the nest and stared at its baby.

Standing up again, Jack said, "The red ones are female. They are the ones to fear."

"Why's that?" Dorothy dared to ask.

"Simple," Jack huddled next to her, "They have venomous, deadly poison on their talons. One scratch and you're a goner."

"And you're this calm _why_?"

Almost laughing, Jack replied, "Because I've noticed something you haven't."

"You do love to leave me in suspense. What have you noticed?" Dorothy was getting tired of guessing games with the pumpkin man.

A twig-finger pointed at the mother willowrig's talons. In the creatures hold, among the deadly talons, were Dorothy Gale's red slippers. At first, she was too shocked to let reality sink in. Dorothy would have grabbed them if Jack hadn't held her back.

"That's why I told you about the talons. Relax."

_"Door-oh-thee! Door-oh-thee!" _The baby willowrig chanted. Soon, the mother joined in.

All at once, the clan of willowrig rose from their nests and flew over Dorothy. They, too, chanted her name. The mother willowrig flew into its nest, leaving the baby to join the others in the air. A giant red feather fell from the mother's body, floating gently into the air, blowing towards nowhere.

"I suppose," Dorothy choked, "I have to take the slippers."

Jack nearly jumped out of his skin with delight, "_And then we can check on Mom by teleporting there!"_

Careful not to startle the beast, Dorothy stepped towards it with smooth movement. Great talons lifted, dropping the slippers. Not even a hairline of space was left between the slippers and the posionous weapons. Licking her lips in great contemplation, Dorothy bent forwards. She reached a hand towards the ruby slippers. Sweat formed on her brow. Her hand touched the slippers, and they suddenly disappeared, only to reappear on her feet.

_"Door-oh-thee!"_ The willowrigs chanted again.

The mother willowrig bowed to Dorothy and extended its wing towards her. She hesitated only for a moment before petting the wing. A grin emerged from hours of fear, anger, and confusion. It was relief to feel happy, even with deadly creatures surrounding her. Even Jack smiled.

"Now, Jack," Said Dorothy, "To the Castle?"

He took her hand, "To the Queen's Castle!"

The sound of heels clicking together three times came before a flash of green light. Dorothy and Jack were alas away from Willowrig City.

0o0o

"_-but the gate is locked too. There has to be a way in, Jack. Just has to be."_

_"I'm certain there was a secret door somewhere. Mom showed me years ago. We'll search the grounds first."_

_"Perhaps we should."_

From atop a tree sat a monkey. Not a regular monkey, mind you. In fact, there were two of them. Side by side, watching the Traitor of Oz.

"We should inform the Wheelers." The first monkey said.

The second monkey sneered, "Who does she think she is? Oz will not stand for this!"

"I said," The first monkey repeated himself, "We should inform the Wheelers."

"Sure," The second monkey flew into the air, waiting for his brother to join him.

"Mother did always say you had a poor attention span_."_ the first monkey mumbled.

The flying monkeys took off without another glance at the Queen's Castle.

0o0o

Damion reappeared in the ballroom, distraught by his realization. Dorothy Gale had found the ruby slippers.

"I bribed the Willowrig! She should have died!" He pounded the wall with his fist. It dented, pieces falling to his feet.

"No matter," His lips trembled, "once she finds a way in, she will have wished never to have known Oz's existance. This is the dawning of my kingship. I will rule Oz within a few hours. If all goes as planned, the Scarecrow will come to this castle. However, how will I trap Glinda? Surely she will have her own magic defense . . . Oh well. I'll deal with her later."


	8. VIII

**A/N: Yeah. I'm back. Time to write my heart out.**

_Salve Regina_

(Save the Queen)

VIII

"Dorothy! I found it! I found the secret doorway!" Jack shouted jubilantly.

She ran to him. Dorothy had let the grudge held against Oz fade away. Her mind wouldn't register it, but this adventure meant a lot to her. She almost felt important again. A feeling that left her so long ago. Right around the time she could no longer care for Toto as her own. The same time her Aunt and Uncle seemed to care for crops more than her.

"How do we get in?" Dorothy questioned after noticing no door knobs were seen.

In front of her and Jack stood a blank wall with the frame of a door in the middle. No knobs or keyholes were visible.

"Mom said something about a loose brick. I guess if we press on each brick, eventually we can find the loose one."

They both began to push on each brick, hoping to enter soon. Dorothy thought this a silly way to enter a castle, but continued. Jack eventually found the loose one, which was closer to the ground. He pushed it into the wall slowly. At once, the bricks in front of them spun in place. They broke one by one into a pile of dust, leaving the adventurers coughing.

"Easy enough." Jack said after shrugging his shoulders.

"It was," Dorothy admitted, "but let's go in before someone spots us."

Into the castle they went, ignoring how dark it was. Jack clinged onto Dorothy's shoulder as they carefully stepped down a flight of stairs. A few of the stairs creaked as they were stepped on, creating more anxiety through Jack's mind. He was usually good about being brave. Without his Mom, though, nothing seemed safe.

They emerged into a dimly lit room colder than the first step in a lake. Dorothy intook a rather large breath and continued to hold Jack's hand. Her intuition sensed danger nearby.

"Where are we, Jack?" She questioned innocently.

"We are actually, most likely," He paused. "We are in the dungeons. Mom always hated it in here, but it was built in long ago. Not her choice, I'm afraid. She never used it though."

Dorothy gulped. Jack stepped forward and took the lead. He apparently knew where to go.

0o0o0o0o

"She's here. _She is here._ That ruddy pumpkin-head is with her. I'll just rid of him and continue on my plan to become ruler of Oz. I will be in charge, and no one can stop me." Damion spoke in the ballroom, enjoying his own voice bounce off the walls.

He walked around, examining his _attractions._ The Cowardly Lion was frozen in mid-pounce, the Tin Man's mighty ax was nailed to the wall above a box holding his rusted remains. Next to the Lion was Tik-Tok, unwound and statue-like. In the corner of the ballroom was a cage holding flying monkeys.

Damion walked around the ballroom. "Mom and Dad will be proud of me. Murdering Dorothy Gale, Savior of Oz." He laughed. "Savior _indeed._ She'll soon wish to have never left home."

A few moments passed with silence among the castle.

0o0o0o0o

"King Scarecrow," Klek barged into the room. "I have important news!"

The King sighed, "It better be as important as you say it is."

"Only the most important of importants, your Highness."

"Oh, well in that case-"

"I wouldn't bother you on any other occasion such as this, for it is important!" Klek went on.

"Ok, I undertstand that but-"

"So, as your important informant, it is my job to tell you the most important of important news, even if you are busy doing something important."

The King screamed, **"Will you tell me already?" **

Klek bowed, "Of course your Highness."

A moment passed.

Scarecrow felt his patience wearing thin. "Well, what is it?"

"Umm," the dumbfounded wheeler scratched his head. "I forgot. I was so busy telling you it was important that the actual information flew from my brain like a flying monkey."

Just as Scarecrow was about to shout again, Klissa appeared in the room.

"Your Highness, I have to tell you some important news." She noticed her friend, "Oh, hi Klek."

"If anyone says the word _'important' _one more time, I'm going to lose my mind. What do you want, Klissa?"

She stood up tall and said, "Dorothy and Jack have found a way in the castle, according to the monkeys."

Klek grunted, "That's what I was going to say."

"Congratulations," Klissa remarked sarcastically. She faced the King again. "Apparently, Nudge is sending a few of his men into the castle to inspect. I've also been informed that Glinda is coming here very soon to discuss battle tactics with you in case any defense is needed. As for Tik-Tok, The Lion, and Tin Man, there has still been no sign of them. What are your next plans of action?"

For a moment, Scarecrow became too overwhelmed to speak. He rubbed his temple and spoke, "I think we're going to need to corner Dorothy. Send Spen in after her. She trusts him. I would go myself, but as you said, Glinda will be here soon. There is no time for me to dilly-dally. Please, Klissa, go inform Nudge of my request. As for you, Klek, allow Glinda in once she arrives."

"Yes, King Scarecrow." Klissa exited the room with Klek by her side.

0o0o0o0o

"Of course I'll go in after her, Sir. I didn't expect Dorothy to be evil." Spen talked to Nudge alone.

Nudge smiled and patted Spen on the back, "That's good, soldier. Keep strong and level-headed. We don't know what kind of magic she has. Now, go."

Spen rushed towards the castle. It wasn't too long before he found part of a wall missing. He knew by his intuition this was the way Dorothy came in. As a wheeler, it was cruicial to know self-defense. Spen was never a fighter, but his strength was above average just like his smarts. It was his smarts that led him straight onto Dorothy's path.

0o0o0o0o

"Jack?"

No answer.

Dorothy hadn't lost her pumpkin-friend. He stopped speaking after awhile due to fright. And then he stopped holding her hand. When Dorothy reached the first floor of the castle, she looked back to see she was alone.

"Jack?" She asked once more.

She knew standing in the middle of the entrance hall was a bad idea. She had to press forward no matter how her gut feeling opposed. There were too many creatures in Oz, too many glorious places. If something malicious were to take over, so would guilt over Dorothy. Her heart encouraged her to move forward with a steady beat.

Walking softly on the marble floor was hard when the Ruby Slippers clunked behind her. Each step seemed louder and louder, but it was only her paranoia. Soon Dorothy found herself in the dining room. It was rather large, but normal for a castle. The place settings were all done up as though dinner were to be served.

"I wish I knew where to go." Dorothy subconciously said. She had forgotten her feet held the magical slippers.

At once, her gut told her to keep moving straight through a pair of large doors. She was now in a narrow hallway with portraits hung on either side of the wall. A portrait of Ozma smiled at Dorothy while an older man on the other side was recognized as the Wizard of Oz. He had been such a convincing evil-doer. However, with hard work and effort, Dorothy and her friends proved him to be a kind-hearted and lonely soul.

The Ruby Slippers kept Dorothy moving towards the end of the hall. Another pair of doors, this time golden, stood proudly. Stopping dead in her tracks, she realized this was it. She looked at her feet and smirked. The magic once again got the best of her.

"I think this is it. Whatever lies ahead is my destiny. Coming to Oz again was not an accident. Something drew me here. And now, I must go on." Dorothy spoke softly to herself to calm her nerves.

She touched the cold handle of the door and turned it.


	9. IX

_Salve Regina_

(Save the Queen)

IX

"It was only a matter of time before we needed to meet, King Scarecrow." Glinda the Good Witch stood before the dishevelled King.

"Yes, Glinda. Your help is very much needed. I know we must not call on you except for in dire need. This is definitely a time of desperation and confusion." Scarecrow wiped sweat from his brow.

"How so?"

He intook a large breath before speaking. "Dorothy is back, as you know, but for cruel intentions. You've been generous to look after our world for as long as you have. Ever since Mombi was executed, things were great. The kingdom was running smoothly and everyone was happy. We all have our boundaries to keep the more violent creatures at bay, there are hundreds of soldiers, hundreds of amateur magicians, and so many more advantages we obtained over the years. I don't know what to do. All of a sudden our Queen disappears and the world is in shambles."

"In all respect, King Scarecrow, you've done a wonderful job running this world. However, you doubt yourself. This is a very weak thing to do. I cannot make miracles happen. I can only protect and serve so far. I do not think Oz is in danger so long as you keep a clear mind and focus on one thing at a time." Glinda folded her hands neatly against the front of her gown.

Scarecrow asked, "What do I do to achieve this when there is so much turmoil?"

"Believe in yourself. Believe in your instincts. I feel that you might be wrong in some ways, but that is why we are different spirits. My assistance is no longer needed in your home. I need to resume my position in protecting and supporting the gentle-hearted. Now, I think you will find it helpful if you find a plan of action not so abrasive at first. Let the culprit surface. Then do as you feel."

Before Scarecrow could absorb Glinda's words, she disappeared.

0o0o0o0o

Dorothy slowly pushed through the golden doors. Her veins pulsed with racing blood while images of darkness crossed her mind. The Ruby Slippers glowed brightly as she stepped into nothing more than a dim-lit ballroom. In her aching head formed more haunting thoughts. She tried to shake the fear from her body, but only gained more with each second.

Now in the center of the ballroom, Dorothy could hear a distant laughing. It's maliciousness caused Dorothy's nerves to finally shatter. Her hands and feet shook as her blood continued to race violently.

"_Dorothy, I knew the day would come where our paths would cross." _

The sudden masculine voice caused Dorothy to close her eyes for a moment. She gulped a harsh lump in her throat.

"_Now that you're here, you might as well meet me."_

A bolt of electricity ran through Dorothy's body as a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She tried to scream, only to feel a warm hand close around her mouth. She was entrapped by an enemy whose identity was undiscovered.

"Wouldn't you like to know," The man whispered, "who I am? Or what my intentions are for you and Oz? Wouldn't you like to know if I'm going to help your cause or if I'm actually full of malice?"

Dorothy made a few noises behind the man's hold. Her body responded to the mystery in a very unexpected way. Her heart rate slowed back to normal and her nerves ceased all unnatural activity. She felt attracted to the unknown. Perhaps it was due to lack of surprise in her life, or maybe it was simply attractive. Either way, she was still frightened.

The man spoke again with a soft voice, "Do not scream. It won't do any good."

At once, Dorothy felt her body free from envelopment. She slowly turned around. Her wondering eyes stared square into two dark pools.

"I am Damion. And you are Dorothy Gale of Kansas." Damion's lips parted slightly. He smirked mischievously.

The Ruby Slippers continued to glow red, lighting up the spotless floor. Dorothy stood like a statue in her spot, unable to even think straight. This man before her was no monster. In fact, in other circumstances she would find him very handsome.

"Please," Words slipped effortlessly out of Dorothy's mouth. "tell me where Ozma is. What do you want from Oz?"

"At least you get to the point." The smirk faded. "Ozma is alive, but she is elsewhere as of right now. As for Oz, I want nothing more than what is mine.-And don't go asking what is mine. I don't like nosy people. They're quite annoying."

The ballroom's chandeliers suddenly lit up, making the room sparkle and shine. Dorothy felt small as she examined her surroundings. Damion walked close to her, intaking her underestimated beauty.

"I know you have another question, Dorothy Gale."

It took a moment before Dorothy found her voice again. She finally asked, "Why am I here in Oz?"

"You are here," The decietful man replied, "because of me. I was _aching _to meet you."

"Seriously?" Her patience wore thin. "Why am I here? Do you know?"

A few laughs escaped from Damion's throat. "Please, do not mistake me for some evil-doer. I am merely seeking revenge. I knew that if you hadn't come to Oz on my command, the Scarecrow would have opened the opportunity for you to come play heroine again. I can't have that now, can I?"

"So," The puzzling facts started to pieve together for Dorothy. "You're trying to rid of me so you can take over Oz?"

"If that's the way you want to describe it, you are correct. However, I like to see myself as a man searching for peace among my life. Nothing bad about that. We all search for peace at some point. You were searching for peace right before that truck hit you. -Or was that money you were looking for? In your Uncle's possessions?"

"You! You watched me?"

Damion grinned, "I more than watched; I planned it all. Do you think that truck hitting you was an accident? Alright, I'll try to explain this to you with as much detail as I can. But you should listen carefully."

0o0o0o0o

From behind the ballroom doors stood Spen, hunched over in the darkness so not to be seen. He had just arrived in time to hear Damion speaking. Of course, Spen had no idea who this man was, or what he was doing in Oz.

Spen inched closer to the door to hear better.

Dorothy spoke, "This is confusing beyond belief. I don't care if you want to rid of me right now or not. Just tell me what the hell is happening!"

"I'll start from the beginning. A long time ago, I was born a son into a disturbing world. My parents were killed when I was three. I ran to the hills, hoping no one would know who I was for fear of death. While I survived in the caves and lived on plants and berries, I also ran and lifted rocks to gain strength and agility. My childhood didn't last. I soon became a young boy who's priorities became clearer than the night sky in Emerald City. I was destined to cease and destroy those who killed my parents. Within months," Damion shook his head and continued, "I came across a great discovery."

The ballroom was silent. Dorothy knew what he was talking about. They were on her feet.

"Seemed that a little girl dropped them carelessly _again_ after saving Oz a second time around. Of course, it was years after her triumphant victory against my Father."

"Your Father?" Dorothy's eyes widened.

"Yes," Damion pointed at the Ruby Slippers, "My Father, the Gnome King, took his Ruby Slippers back when you dropped them your first visit to Oz. Guess what? Your feet decided to rid of them once again after Ozma sent you home. I found them in a bird's nest. But not just any bird's nest. I had somehow found a way to the Willowrig Habitat."

Spen, still in the darkness, stared wide-eyed at the Gnome King's son. He had enough information to prove Dorothy innocent already. He spun on his heel and glided fast through the hallway and out of the castle. He would send Dorothy help and inform King Scarecrow everything he heard and witnessed. He hoped Scarecrow wasn't already on his way to corner Dorothy.


	10. X

_Salve Regina_

(Save the Queen)

X

Spen's wheels were burning hot from racing to the Emerald City. King Scarecrow had obviously not left, for there were no signs of him along the way. It wasn't long before he reached the top floor where Scarecrow stood, gazing out at the velvet night sky. It's calming appearance gave hope to the paranoid citizens.

"King!" Spen shouted despite the short distance between them.

Scarecrow jumped. "What? What's with the yelling? What's wrong? You're supposed to be in the castle."

"I know, I know. I went outside to meet Nudge and told him the same I'm about to tell you. He's going to wait for me to return to take action. I was in the castle and saw Dorothy in the Ballroom. She wasn't alone." As Spen continued to tell his story one more time, he knew Scarecrow became confused.

"-but what am I to do now? Everyone in Oz thinks Dorothy's a villain now. Alright, Spen. I guess we should venture to take these matters into our own hands. Damion, you say? We better go. Dorothy's the one who needs saving this time."

0o0o0o0o

"Alright men," Nudge scolded, "You've been through things like this before. Magic is very powerful when it comes from the dark side. But Spen told us Dorothy was trapped in the ballroom. I know we should wait for him to return with plans of action, but I need to know what we're dealing with. Any volunteers to go in?"

The wheelers stayed silent.

"Will I have to force someone to go in?"

Just as Nudge was about to volunteer himself, a running pumpkin emerged from the castle's hidden entrance.

"Jack!" One of the wheelers called. "It's you!"

Jack ran to Nudge panting. "Dorothy is trapped in there. She's with some evil man named Damion. What do we do?"

"Spen told us about him. How'd you escape?" Nudge curiously asked.

"I actually didn't mean to. I was alongside Dorothy when I was suddenly blinded. I felt like I was flying. Once I regained sight, I wasn't with Dorothy. Instead, I was back where I started, the doors in front of me locked from the other side." Jack breathed in deep, obviously exaspreated.

A muscular wheeler stepped forward and said, "I guess we know what we're dealing with."

"Not really." Nudge blurted. He glared at the wheeler. "I guess you've volunteered. Go on, Swork."

Swork dropped his shoulders. He felt defeated. ""Fine, I'll go in."

"No!" A familiar voice yelled, "As King of the Emerald City, I order you to go no further."

"King Scarecrow!" Shouted Jack.

Spen smiled. "Jack!"

Nudge threw his arms in the air. "Spen!"

Scarecrow yelled, "Enough! We're all here. This isn't a role call. Let's gather together and figure out a strategy. I realize I made some mistakes. I know Dorothy has been accused of black magic, but we have proof against it."

"How do you know this isn't a trick to make you think she's not evil so she can continue ruining our world?" Asked Swork.

"I know who Damion is." Explained Scarecrow. "He is the lost son of Mombi and the Gnome King. Before The Gnome King took over his mountain, he and Mombi started a life together. They were soon too conceited to care for each other. Mombi gave birth to her son awhile before Dorothy arrived. Damion was kept secret by everyone, because Mombi was ashamed of who his father was. She had learned to hate them both."

"But Damion would've been dead if she locked him up." Jack voiced.

Scarecrow went on. "She took care of him, but that didn't mean she cared _about_ him. He was only one when the Gnome King was killed. He's too young too remember. My guess is he thinks his parents wanted him to follow their footsteps."

Spen was puzzled. "That doesn't explain how he would know about his parents if he was locked up."

"Of course he would know who his parents were," Swork interrupted. "What the King is forgetting to explain is the day he met Damion."

"Oh yes," Scarecrow recalled the rainy day. "He came to see his mother being executed at the age of three. Mombi told him who his father was, and that she was terribly sorry for such a tragic childhood. I guess Damion took that as an invitation to live his life trying to rule Oz. He ran away at an early age and completely disappeared. Now he's back, and the void bridging the past and present is very mysterious. Dorothy has to get out of that castle. Who knows what powers he obtained from his parents' genetics?"

"I hope he's not as ugly as them." Said a very eager Klissa. "Let's go kick his ass."

0o0o0o0o

"...As you can see, my childhood was very haunting. Mom and Dad died for their cause. Now it's my turn. I shall show you all my powers, prove to you I am not just the son of Mombi and the Great Gnome King. I am the eternal ruler of Oz. I am the feared, worshipped, and dreaded. And you," Damion pointed a long finger at Dorothy, "are nothing."

"Just because your Mother was beheaded in front of you does not give you the right to harm everyone in Oz. I know life must have been tough for you without parents, but you can do so much more." Dorothy tried her best to calm the evil man down.

He laughed maliciously. "You're right. There is so much more. You don't even know, Dorothy Gale. You want to know why I disappeared for so long?"

Dorothy remained silent.

Damion towered over her and stated, "I was living in Kansas."

"What do you mean? There's no way a resident of Oz can leave without the Ruby Slippers."

"I told you that I had found the slippers in the Willowrig habitat. As a young boy, it was traumatic seeing a bird ten times bigger than me trying to protect them. That didn't stop me, as I already said. What I didn't tell you was that I clicked my heels together and found my way out of this hell. I did lose the slippers, but I did find something else." Damion placed his hand on Dorothy's shoulder. "I found you. And I researched everything I could to try and find a way to travel to Oz and back without the slippers."

"That's not possible."

"Sure it is. If you believe in Oz hard enough, you can come back willingly. I've done it pleanty of times. It just takes some thought to figure it out."

Dorothy struggled to think of a way out. The Ruby Slippers had been taken from her feet. Damion now wore them, though they turned a dark charcoal color.

As though Damion could read minds, he added, "And now it's time for _you_ to leave. I've been so anxious to ban you from Oz."

"How could you ban me? I didn't want to come here in the first place. You brought me here. There must be a reason." Dorothy didn't mean to stall. She really didn't want to stay in Oz. In fact, she had almost forgotten how much she hated it.

Another deep breath was taken in before Damion tried to make his enemy understand. "You belong in Kansas. To make sure you never returned again, I brought you here...to kill you."


	11. XI

_Salve Regina_

(Save the Queen)

XI

Glinda never once thought the whole world of Oz would be in trouble. She protected and served from Munchkin City to the Poppy Fields. Those were her boundaries until the Wicked Witch of the West and East were murdered. Glinda watched over the North, East, and West. She protected the South to a degree, but didn't interfere with Ozma's Queendom or the Enchanted Forest. Once in a great while she would keep an eye open if they needed help. Basically, she stayed in Munchkin City unless trouble spouted.

When Glinda made arrangements to see King Scarecrow, she never imagined him being as nervous or helpless as he was. She knew Oz would be in danger if her magic wasn't protecting everyone. She also knew that her powers were wearing thin because of Damion's presence.

Damion was born in the presence of Glinda. Mombi had ordered her to arrive in case there were any birth problems. They both knew Glinda's white magic could save an infant from being cursed. Glinda believed Mombi just wanted to make sure she didn't curse her own newborn son.

As Damion grew older, Glinda felt an evil essence surrounding him like a shroud. It wasn't only because of who his parents were; It was because the moment he was born, he was destined to be more malevolent than a demon from Hell.

Due to Damion's powers inherited by his parents, he would grow up knowing only black magic. Glinda feared the day he became a grown man. She could imagine how horrifying the outcome would be if he tried to rule Oz. Lucky for her, she placed a protective spell on his ability to love. Any normal person, creature, or magician would already have the will. But with parents who hated, intimidated, and murdered, it was a hidden attribute.

As Glinda floated towards the Great Castle of Ozma, she realized her spell would have to take effect soon or it would forever be banished by thoughts and feelings of detest and anger.

Even though she was hopeful, Glinda was ashamed. She should have known all along this day would come where the son of two devils would finally notice his open target. There was a secret premonition that Damion would return one day.

0o0o0o0o

"Well, we have Swork and Klissa who will lead the way into the castle. I will follow and Jack will stay behind with Nudge and the other wheelers until the Flying Monkeys arrive. Then we'll corner Damion and force him to step down." Scarecrow wasn't used to giving orders. He felt a little bossy, but pushed away the guilt of it all.

Klissa raised her eyebrows and declared, "I'm gonna kick Damion where the sun don't shine. After that, I'll skin him alive."

"Umm . . . Talk about being unviolent about it all." Swork said, despite his rugged appearance.

"Ok, let's go." King Scarecrow said, wishing _he_ had been the one to need more courage.

Into the broken-wall entrance they went, with all th hope and bravery they could find. Swork was in front, followed by Scarecrow and Klissa. They passed through to a very dark room. Jack had been right, the doors were locked from the other side. This is why Swork was tagging along.

With all of his might, Swork threw himself into the door, causing it to open. He laughed as he stood up from the debris. Scarecrow shook his head in disbelief and Klissa just giggled along.

"Once we're in the ballroom, Swork, you know what to do. You are the strongest wheeler, so use your abilities wisely. Klissa is the quickest and she's a great fighter. As for me, well you already know our plan. Let's just hope for the best, expect the worst, and get through it together." As Scarecrow stopped speaking, the three of them emerged onto the first floor of the castle.

0o0o0o0o

"Wait, please." Dorothy found herself against a mirrored wall of the ballroom, begging for her life.

Damion smirked, "The tables turn, don't they. Ironic how hours ago you were wishing yourself dead. Funny how the moment you really are in danger can change your mind. You can yearn to die, want to sleep forever...When it comes down to the second you're about to, you take it back."

"I'll do anything you want. I don't want to die like this." She really meant it. Dorothy hated Oz even more for bringing this onto her. She didn't want to die in a fantasy world.

"I'm sorry," Damion spoke softly, his hand gently choking Dorothy's neck. "I can't listen to you babble. It distracts me from my work. Now, tell me something. I'm _dying _to know. Did you really want to save Oz a third time around? Think about everything you've been through. Your poor doggy being put to sleep, your aunt and uncle ignoring you during crop season, the way your room seems to close in on you at night."

"Toto was such a good dog." Dorothy felt tears rising in her eyes. "Aunt Em . . . thinks I hate her. I never meant to leave them. I'm just so . . . lonely." Admitting this to a stranger was never in Dorothy's to-do list. She couldn't help it after all these years of being on a farm with no one to have fun with, talk to , or love her.

Damion observed the first few tears rolling down Dorothy's pink cheeks. He pitied her for a brief second. His mind flashbacked to a time where a mother's kiss was felt, right before being placed in an empty room. The floor was cold beneath his blanket. A cold he hadn't felt for ages, which suddenly rushed back to him.

"If you can send me back to Kansas without killing me," Dorothy snapped Damion out of his daze. "I'll never come back here."

"I can't take your word. How would I trust you? You killed my Father and threw my Mother in jail until she was excecuted. I despise you."

Dorothy moved her head around a bit to try and loosen Damion's grip. "Please."

"No." He let go of her neck and shoved her hard into the wall. His hands roughly squeezed her shoulders. "I'm not playing that game."

Parting her lips, Dorothy wanted to speak again. She kept quiet as her mind raced. Damion watched her breathing hard, trying to catch her breath and stop crying. He could tell she was thinking of how to escape. Her eyes roamed around the ballroom and rested on his face.

Dorothy noticed how gentile the man really looked. His chiseled jawline and furrowed eyebrows didn't distract her from taking in his piercing yet calming gaze or tender lips. His hair floated just above his brows as he lowered his head and continued to stare Dorothy square in the eyes.

Her stomach fluttered.

"Damion," She said softly, "make it quick."

0o0o0o0o

"Lieutenant Nudge of the Wheeler Army," Glinda's voice came before she did.

Nudge jumped as Glinda appeared in front of him from a pink bubble.

"Do not be alarmed. I am Glinda the Good Witch. I think we may have met once before. Please forgive my memory if so. I'm here to interfere with King Scarecrow's plans. I have reason to believe I can help him, if you'll all trust me."

"Ma'am," Nudge spoke, "You can call me Nudge. The King brought our two most important soldiers into the castle. He has devised a small distraction to allow us to corner Damion. I know who you are and how you've helped our land before, so of course I trust you. I don't think it's wise for you to enter the castle the way everyone else did. We think Jack and Dorothy broke the magic seal when they found the secret entrance."

"I'll try, Nudge. Hopefully it's not too late." Glinda stepped closer to the castle.

Closing her eyes, Glinda tried to see inside of the castle. Her magic felt weaker here, but didn't fail to show her Scarecrow and the two wheelers entering a narrow hallway.

"It's working. The shield has been disabled."

Glinda opened her eyes and used her magic to shrink. She was no larger than a thimble. Her pink bubble surrounded her and carried her into the castle. She could maneuver through the cracks in the walls at this size, easily gaining on the Scarecrow.

Once she found them, she returned to normal size. This scared the socks off of Swork. Klissa chuckled.

"Swork is such a baby," Klissa teased.

King Scarecrow faced Glinda, "New plan?"

Glinda nodded, and proceeded to tell them.


	12. XII

_Salve Regina_

(Save the Queen)

XII

"Damion, get it over with. Like you said, I wanted to die. Just do it so I can stop feeling this rock of nerves in my stomach." Dorothy had told him to make it quick at least a minute ago.

The only thing Damion did was watch her tremble.

"_Tut, tut_, my little Dorothy," Damion let go of her shoulders. "With all this nonsense about the past, I forgot to show you Ozma."

"There's more? I thought you were going to kill me."

"I am. But how can I kill you with complete satisfaction if I don't first show you where your friend is?" Damion pointed towards the ceiling.

Dorothy tore her eyes from his, which was somewhat hard to do. She looked up at the ceiling and saw a painting of Ozma next to the painted cherubs and angels. So that's all he had done? Turn her into a painting? She tried not to break out in laughter.

"Is something funny?" Damion sensed her change in mood.

She answered honestly, "No, but all this time everyone thought she was dead. It just proves how this world is just like mine; Everyone jumps to conclusions. Everyone assumes the worst."

"Now that you've shared with the classroom, it is time you go." The dark eyes went back to staring into Dorothy's.

She gulped, "You're really going to kill me?"

"Yes. Any last requests?"

Dorothy was about to shake her head when she felt a tiny something, like a fly, rest on the top of her ear.

_This is Glinda,_ a voice was heard only to Dorothy, _Damion has the power to love. I had protected it when he was born. You have to try and understand what I'm saying, for I must go before he spots me. Just listen to your heart and do the right thing. If you need us, we will be here. But this has to be up to you. Damion's black magic is undeniably strong. If he sees us come in, we are all goners. We do have a way to save you, but you must distract him. I thought a little push in the right direction might help._

The feeling of pressure on Dorothy's ear left.

"Well?" Damion asked again, thinking she was in too much shock to realize he had spoken.

"Give me a second to think."

Thoughts flew in and out of Dorothy's mind rapidly. The only thing she could think of was flirting with Damion, but he wouldn't fall for that. She needed something stronger. Something to _really_ distract him.

Damion's patience wore thin. "Dorothy, you have seconds left to decide whether or not to have a last wish. I am being more than generous giving you a chance to do or see something one last time in Oz before you are dead to us."

_Dead to us?_ Dorothy stumbled over this thought. He was only killing her in Oz. She always wondered if you could die in Oz and come out into the real world living. He had just answered her. So what was the big deal then? If she let him kill her, she'd be back in Kansas and never have to deal with Oz ever again.

Another minute went by between Damion and Dorothy. He finally let his guard down by allowing Dorothy to see what he'd done to all of her friends. The guilt ate inside of her suddenly, though not as much as expected.

The more Damion stayed quiet, the more Dorothy became confused. It was as though he were stalling _for _her. They met eyes again, this time making both of them feel strange. It seemed the longer they stood together, the more they sensed their lives were similar.

"We're not so different," Dorothy blurted. "Parents are gone, life is a mess. We both don't know what to do with our spare time-"

For the first time in years, Damion smiled. "Are you mocking my magic? You're about to be banned from Oz and all you can do is joke?"

"Well, I thought you would have killed me by now."

"I think I will."

Slowly, Damion closed in on his enemy. She stared into his eyes as he placed a gentle hand on her pale cheek. He began mumbling an incantation. Dorothy pouted and realized she couldn't let Oz be ruined.

The tender lips Dorothy noticed before were soon touching hers. She kissed Damion with such want and lust that it fooled her into believing she meant it. His lips were as soft as they seemed, and felt amazing. Her stomach turned cartwheels and her world spun around them. She knew, deep inside, this was not just a kiss.

He didn't take his eyes off hers. Damion felt something terrific and confusing while kissing Dorothy. He knew she was beautiful. And he knew he had to kill her. What he didn't realize, though, was a sudden door of hope opened for him. His heart pumped fast and all thought left his mind. The only thing left to do was continue. He kissed her deeper and harder, though searching for something.

0o0o0o0o

"What's happening?" Scarecrow wondered. He wasn't naive, but there was something going on in the ballroom aside from kissing.

It was true. Glinda noticed it instantly as the wheelers pointed. They were all in the ballroom, unnoticed. A wisp of blue smoke flourished around Damion and Dorothy. It swirled around them, intertwining with another new wisp of red smoke. A third smoke-ribbon appeared, black as night, wrapping around the two.

Glinda shook her head, "It's magic."

Klissa sideglanced at Glinda, "No duh. What is with the smoke?"

"That's what happens when love and death embrace." Glinda smiled sadly. "He started a spell to kill her, but was interrupted with a kiss. Murder and love do not mix, and I wish she would have thought of being passionate earlier when it was at the right time. However, no one is perfect."

"What now?" Scarecrow asked.

"Damion and Dorothy are in their own world right now. He won't notice us. Dorothy is ill, though. He did curse her with the first part of his incantation. She will most likely never be able to save us now. There are only so many hours that a curse takes to kill the victim. If it were just a normal hex, we could cure it. But as he was using a death spell, nothing can save her from Oz. And so, I guess we have no choice but to . . ." Glinda choked on her words. "We must face the new era. Damion feels cared for now, but when Dorothy is gone, he'll pick up where he left off."

0o0o0o0o

"Damion?" Dorothy pulled away. "I don't want to be banned from Oz. Please don't kill my imagination."

The smoke dropped like lead onto the floor and evaporated into thin air.

Damion was surprised that she caught up with his meaning behind _murdering her._ To kill a non-resident of Oz would only kill their imagination, which was like death anyways. The ability to imagine created ideas, emotions, and life. Without imagination, Dorothy would live the rest of her life like a zombie. No ability to see the joys or positive things in the world.

"You're smart," Damion replied, "but it's too late. Had you opened up to me before, I wouldn't have cursed you. I don't . . . I don't want you to feel sick, so I'm going to send you back quickly, as you requested before."

"But what about just now?" Dorothy wondered, thinking Glinda would've been right about love.

Damion smiled, "A kiss is just a kiss."

He raised his hand into the air. From the corner of his eye, Glinda was visible. She rushed towards him. A blast of black thunder emerged from his hand, knocking Dorothy into the wall behind her. The wall cracked. Dorothy fell unconcious.


	13. XIII

**A/N: Nudge suddenly lost his accent. Sorry. hehehe.**

_Salve Regina_

(Save the Queen)

XIII

"Witch!" Damion shouted. He levitated himself into the air.

Glinda shielded herself and the others with white magic. "Do not harm us. We come to negotiate. Let Dorothy keep her imagination and we will bargain with you."

"Are you a fool? I don't bargain." He thought of the kiss. "How long were you standing there? Did you put her up to that stupid physical gesture?"

"Damion, we need you to stop this nonsense."

"It's too late anyhow, Dorothy is gone."

Scarecrow's eyes filled with tears. "You monster!" He ran through Glinda's protective shield right to Dorothy's immobile body. She felt cold and lost.

"Hmm. That's an insult? You fail, I win. End of story." Damion raised his hand once more and grinned.

0o0o0o0o

Glinda escaped with Klissa and Scarecrow by her side before Damion got to them. They had been running around the castle like mice, dodging Damion's spells and attacks. Swork had been turned into stone.

"What's going on?" Nudge said as the pink bubble dragged a feisty wheeler out of the castle.

Glinda reappeared next to Klissa, who fell with a thump to the ground. Scarecrow ran up beside them.

"We need to go back to the Emerald City where it's safe." Scarecrow advised. "We'll devise a new strategy before it's too late. This is war."

"War is my middle name," Nudge said proudly. "Now, where's my best man, Swork?"

Klissa sniffled. "He was morphed into stone. There was no way to save him. He dodged the shot for the King. Dorothy . . . Dorothy is gone."

"I don't quite think her imagination died though," Said Glinda. "The kiss might have been meaningful enough to prevent Damion from really harming her."

"What kiss?" Jack asked.

Klissa joked, "Dorothy played tonsil-hockey with the bad man."

"But now," Scarecrow wiped another tear from his eye, "we're done for if we don't save ourselves."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here before Damion murders us all!" Nudge was never one to run away. But when it came down to black magic, he was scared out of his wits.

Of course, as a Lieutenant, he wouldn't admit that.

0o0o0o0o

_"Dorothy." _

Tired eyes opened, almost immediately blinded by the brightness of a white room. Dorothy was laying down in a fluffy white bed, surrounded by her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.

"I'm alive!" Dorothy shot upright in the bed. She became dizzy and fell back against the pillow.

"Relax, honey," Aunt Em spoke. "You're healthy. No real injuries. Just a few scratches and bruises."

Uncle Henry jumped into the conversation. "What were you thinking stealing from my personal stash of money?"

"Henry-" Em rested her hand on his arm to calm him down.

"No, Emily," He said harshly, "I need to know what was passing through our niece's mind when she decided to run away."

Dorothy knew the answer. "Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, I'm sorry." She thought long and hard before speaking again. "I was just so frustrated with everything. I'm so sorry I haven't been acting kindly to either of you. Your money isn't my property to touch, and you can discipline me any way you want. Take away my freedom of speech, for God's sake. Just please . . . Forgive me."

"Darling," Henry brushed a hand over her forehead. "You're freezing cold. We love you. We wouldn't be mad at you forever. But you have to understand it's hard for us too. We promise we are at our wit's end trying to give you the life you deserve."

Guilt rose to Dorothy's mind. "I don't deserve anything. I tried to run away again and was punished for it. Just let me think of it that way. Was the driver alright?"

"There was no one in the truck when the ambulance arrived." Aunt Em explained calmly. "The police are looking though."

_That's right,_ Dorothy thought, _Damion had planned it all. Must have enchanted the truck._

"Dorothy," Aunt Em took advantage of their privacy. "I want you to know that we will try to understand your needs if you can understand ours as well. We are human, too. Your Uncle and I would never wish any harm on you. You have to consider our feelings. Please, don't be so hard on yourself all the time. You want so much for everything to be perfect, when all you really need in life is to be happy. Can you try to be happy?"

"I've been so sad lately." Dorothy began quietly. She didn't want to confess all her emotions, but found no other alternative. Lying would only get her into more trouble. "I'm just confused with life. I know what I did was wrong. I know I haven't treated you with the respect you deserve. Maybe I just need some time by myself to think things over."

Henry spoke up, "We can give you privacy. That's not an issue. Just don't scare us like that again."

As Dorothy fell silent, she realized she had meant every word. Being constantly frustrated and upset with her life had blinded her from seeing the love around her. Family was forever. Dorothy knew she ached for a friend, but at least she could count on her Aunt and Uncle. She felt wide-eyed and aware of how they truly felt for her. Love truly wasn't impossible in her world.

"Thank you both." Dorothy finally said.

A bubbly nurse walked into the room. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her cherry red lips curled into a smile. "I suppose you are feeling better, Dorothy? There are no injuries, but the doctor advises you to stay the night and rest. I do have to keep an eye on a few other patients tonight, but if you need me I'll be a few feet away."

"We'll come back in the mid-morning, then?" Henry asked.

"If you wish." The nurse smiled once more. She turned on her heel and seemed to bounce in her steps out of the room.

Dorothy inhaled deeply. "I'll be fine if you want to leave. I do need some time by myself."

"Just . . . Please . . ." Aunt Em stopped mid-sentence.

"I promise you both," Dorothy said, "I won't let you down. From now on I will try to be more optimistic. I love you."

With that, Dorothy shut her eyes. Her Aunt and Uncle looked down at her respectively and left the hospital. They had faith in their niece, no matter the situation. Dorothy was their niece by blood, but almost like a daughter in heart. And they wanted nothing more than to see her rosy cheeks as the sunlight hit her grinning face.

0o0o0o0o

Emerald City's night lights flickered like candles caught in a summer breeze. They watched the city, protecting its beauty. But just like the candle's fire ready to be blown out, the night lights sensed a storm coming. A storm bigger than any imaginable evil in all of Oz.

King Scarecrow, Jack, and the Wheeler Army ventured through thick winds to the Emerald City. They knew in their deepest hearts that Damion would not let them rest. His presence was felt around every corner as if each failing attempt to stop him made him more powerful.

"We're here." Jack sighed in relief.

The sky was depressingly dark and grim. Purple clouds hung over the city as if to suffocate it.

Scarecrow frowned, "Klissa, you're the fastest. Go to the center of town and use the emergency tower to alert everyone. I will go to my office and message Munchkin City. Glinda will no doubt already know we're in grave danger. I don't think Damion is willing to give up anymore."

"_Anymore_?" Spen asked. "I don't think he ever was willing to give up. This is the Devil himself you're talking about."

"He's not the Devil," Klissa joked seriously, "He's a jackass."

"No time to waste." Scarecrow ignored the joke. "Klissa, go on. We'll meet you in the Underground Congregation Room."

"Yes, sir." Klissa rolled away, towards the center of town.


	14. XIV

**A/N: ...Almost done. Alright, no I didn't steal the turn-to-stone thing from Narnia. I hadn't even seen it before writing those parts, and never read the books either. Just to let you know. But they were for different purposes which will be revealed in this chapter. I had this plan since day one.**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save the Queen)

XIV

Dorothy knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. The night was growing darker by the minute and all she could think about was Oz. If Damion hadn't banned her from it, she would be more than willing to help her friends. Reality had hit her hard fast like a stone through rippling waters; She couldn't live life in turmoil any longer. Self-pity got her nowhere but in her Uncle's garage, stealing money. She needed to thank her lucky stars she came out of Oz alive . . .

Then again, Dorothy's stomach twisted wickedly with nerves and compunction. She felt very bad for allowing herself to give up as she did. If only she would have defended Oz, perhaps she wouldn't be helplessly wishing for everyone to get through their hard times. Dorothy finally realized, no matter real or fantasy, there were problems everywhere. To suffer was tragic, but to suffer and be self-absorbed was even more so.

_There has to be something I can do._ Dorothy reached in the back of her mind for ways to help. Damion had said that if one was willing enough to return to Oz, they could do it if they tried. Dorothy knew she could've returned by a mirror, but Ozma would have to be on the other side to accept her back.

_How did Damion return to Oz so casually? He said he found ways to just come and go as he pleased. _

Finally a thought emerged from the deep pools of possible explanations that dripped through her mind. In the beginning, she had been hit by a truck. The near-death experience forced Dorothy to wish she was anywhere but on that street. She wanted to be somewhere where she knew pain did not exist to her. Oz. The same happened to her when Damion prepared to kill her. She wished badly enough to be away from Oz and it happened.

_It's pain that drives us in and out of Oz. A yearning for a land so beautiful and free of harm brings us there. Though, people don't know Oz exists. That's why it's only me and Damion who can travel like that._

Dorothy said, "It's desperation."

Quickly, Dorothy ran out of her room. The hospital halls were gloomy and mysterious. Her footsteps pounded against the marble floors as she ran. Sweat beaded down from her forehead by the time she was on the hospital's fifth floor. It had taken every ounce of bravery to dodge the nurses and doctors that passed her. Now she needed to preserve that bravery for her upcoming quest to Oz. Dorothy knew it was time to help her friends, even if neither one of them had kept in touch over the years.

_No matter what_, thought Dorothy, _friends should always bne there for one another. Even if time flies by, the feelings still remain. _

She walked quietly into a badly-lit, vacant operating room.

"I'm not afraid."

It took a few minutes for Dorothy to really start searching the room. She pushed aside bottles on shelves, scrambled through cabinets, and even looked under the sheets of a cot. But, nothing. And there it was, dangling on a hook behind the door; A silver key that would help her enter one of the top drawers in the operating room. She knew it would be somewhere convenient, but not in plain sight. Without it, her plan would not continue.

As the very top-right drawer unlocked, Dorothy took a deep breath and readied herself to either win or lose. Inside lay several intimidating tools, all of which were sharp and deadly if not used properly. Dorothy hated hospitals, but more importantly weapons that supposedly _helped_ patients. But it was time.

Dorothy looked at an amputation saw, tourniquet, and a few knives. She took the smallest knife, which seemed to have the sharpest point, and held it carefully by her side. Footsteps were barely audible. They approached the hall Dorothy was in. She quickly closed the drawer and placed the key back on the wall. She ran out of the operating room and away from the footsteps. A nearby bathroom was the only choice for her escape. Blood rushed through her veins violently. Dorothy entered a stall and locked it shut. The footsteps were drawing near again. It was now or never.

The silver blade raised in the air, and Dorothy took a deep breath . . .

0o0o0o0o

"Klissa," Nudge raced up to the Emergency Tower in the Emerald City. "Klissa, we need to meet in the Underground Congregation Room."

The female wheeler turned around to face him. "Right, Sir. No more joking around, Sir. I have started the alert system, and it should continuously send silent alarms to each and every home, store, and business in this city. King Scarecrow and Glinda have alerted the heads of other cities, I suppose?"

Nudge nodded firmly. He said, "I've also alerted the Underground World. Creatures even _we_ do not speak to should be aware of our world, too. Gnomes and such. But right now, we need to go."

"Alright."

"One more thing," Nudge looked Klissa square in the eyes, "I never told you this, but now that we're in this situation, you must know." His eyes seemed less stern. "You've been a great help to our army. Not only are you strong, but you always kept us laughing. Klissa, if we make it out alive, I'm making you a lieutenant. It's time we have more than one person in order here."

"Sir!" Klissa gasped and smiled dearly. "Thank you so much, Sir. It's a great honor to work by your side." A sweet silence rose in the air before Klissa exclaimed, "Now, let's go kick some Devil ass."

0o0o0o0o

Glinda never liked wars. She was a firm believer in solving problems with talking and nagotiation. Of course, the problem with her belief system was portrayed in this very moment. She faced the munchkins with hope of support, but found something completely different.

"Mayor Klip of Munchkin City," Glinda stood in an oval-shaped office. "I beg of you to help us all fight this evil away. We have no other choice this time around."

Mayor Klip was a proud fellow, but a little pudgy. His whole family had been that way, but it never stopped them from becoming mayor each and every generation. He straightened his tie while clearing his throat.

He started, "Glinda, the time has come for you to realize that as munchkins, we only have so much to bring to a war. We do not have amazing magical powers or fancy weaponry. What we have is a bond that will keep our city protected from anything. And you must respect this. It is a wish of all citizens for you to leave us be this time. Let us live up to our dreams and be a powerful city not out of physical nature, but of emotional stature. Our pride and joy of living here has already brought us through so much, that we have nothing to worry about."

"But, Mayor, there's a real war out there, brewing quickly and taking no consideration for feelings of happiness. Oz has become a playground for a horrible man. A man capable of turning creatures to stone, transforming our Queen Ozma into ceiling art, and almost abolishing a poor girl's imagination. We cannot let you stay here and, excuse me for saying this, hide in your arrogance. It's true your family has been royalty to this city for as long as anyone can remember, but it's time you stop your foolishness and act like a real mayor."

It took a moment for Mayor Klip to drink in all of Glinda's words. He simply stated, "We are finished here. Please leave."

The White Witch nodded, accepting her defeat, and left the Mayor's house. As she stepped outside, a bright light stung her eyes. It was not daytime. The light was, in fact, several hundred munchkins grouped together, holding an assortment of pitchforks, antique swords, kitchen knives, and torches. At that moment, Glinda knew . . .

And a tear rolled down her blushing pink cheek.


	15. XV

**A/N: I must say, it's good to be bad. Oh, the stone thing is in this or the next chapter. I wasn't sure how long I was going to write that last part between the wheelers, so it got bumped. So, I see hits, but no one tells me...Do you guys like how this story is going? Leave some reviews:D**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save the Queen)

XV

"Everyone, please keep it quiet." Spen sat down next to King Scarecrow in the Congregation Room.

Scarecrow sniffled and looked around the room. Silence fell like an iron curtain.

"I'm sorry we must meet in these circumstances," He began, "but as ruler of Emerald City, these things must be planned and treated cautiously. I am responsible for our beautiful city, and so I am responsible for the lives that inhabit it."

Klissa and Nudge rolled into the room, standing next to the other wheeler army leaders.

"Where's Glinda?" Klissa asked abrubtly.

He hadn't even noticed her presence missing. Scarecrow knew she was visiting Munchkin City, and hoped for her return soon. He could not plan a defense mechanism without her help, for that was her strong point.

"She'll be back soon." The King scratched his head and continued to speak, "Emerald City is obviously going to be under attack soon. By what, we do not know. Either Damion will attack, or he will use pawns so he doesn't get hurt directly. My bet is on the pawns. However, this assumption could be wrong, for we don't know what he could use. Surely we know from Jack that the Willowrig's are on our side because Dorothy had returned."

An odd pause caused everyone to hang their head slightly in Dorothy's rememberance. Scarecrow felt guilty. If he hadn't believed Dorothy was against Oz, then he would've spent more time trying to save her. Now it was too late, and she was gone from Oz forever, her imagination dead with the memories.

"King," Nudge interrupted, "I'm going to round up all of my soldiers and we'll surround the city. If Damion makes a move, he'll have to go through us first."

"True, but I can't allow you to sacrifice yourselves like that. We'll already have a shield protecting us from the Emergency Tower. Glinda constructed it a long time ago to give off a magic shield around the entire city. Why do you think it's in the center?"

The room was lost for answers. There was a magic shield around their city, but King Scarecrow's intuition told him it wasn't enough. Damion was probably out there, devising a master plan to take over Oz and kill all the rulers of it. But the Emerald City wouldn't stand for something like that. They were a strong city, built from years of struggling through the Wicked Witch's power, right through Mombi's sudden conrtol. Each time Oz was in trouble, Dorothy had been there to save them. And now it was time . . .

"It is time for us to show ourselves that we do have what it takes to stay alive." King Scarecrow suddenly blurted. "We've been saved by one female over and over again, never providing our own help. If we fail this time, then we know for sure that Oz is not fit for creatures such as wheelers, munchkins, lions, tigers, or bears!" He stood up and pounded his fist on the table. "We are a world of fantasy brought to an instance of turmoil. If we, as a nation, cannot withstand such an encounter of black magic, than what use is it to fight? Must it take years and years of agony to realize we need to give up? I think not! Tonight, tomorrow, and forever more we must show not only Damion, but each other, than Oz can and will survive!"

An eruption of cheering and clapping emerged from the Underground Congregation Room. Soon, everyone was writing down ways to fight and defend. About an hour or so passed before the entire room of soldiers were content with their scheme.

0o0o0o0o

She awoke hearing the whistling wind blow through her hair and around her body. A night sky full of twinkling stars greeted her sad eyes as she opened them. Dorothy was back in Oz.

_"I'm here_." She said, sitting upright.

An open field full of forget-me-nots and daffodills surrounded her. She hadn't been in this part of Oz before. At least, she didn't think so. In fact, Dorothy couldn't remember a lot at the present moment. Her mind raced to remember whether or not she fainted before or after she attempted to stab herself in the hospital.

It didn't matter right now. What mattered was that she was back in Oz, already proving Damion wrong. He had not taken away her imagination, surprisingly. In fact, her experience had revived her imagination, if anything. She could see things clearer and with mroe possiblity. Even the flowers that tickled her legs seemed prettier than usual.

Dorothy stood up slowly and contemplated. She knew Damion was just as powerful as Glinda, and could probably spy on Dorothy if he knew she was there. Her feet began to think on their own, moving across the field in no particular direction. The night stars lighted enough of the grass to see where she was stepping. Dorothy was aware that their were unfreindly creatures in Oz, so she made sure to keep her eyes wide open and alert. She wouldn't let anything prevent her from helping the Land of Oz this time.

0o0o0o0o

Damion allowed his eyes to search the ballroom once more before getting ready to leave the castle. He had not forgotten anything, and was prepared for everything. No amount of white magic or weapons could save Oz now. It was too late to plot against his perfect plan.

Ozma was still trapped in the ceiling. She wept for hours, tears causing the paint to run.

"No use, _Queen,"_ mocked Damion, "I've enchanted you, remember? You let all that paint run and you will disappear with it. It's alright, I'll be back eventually. I have a few errands to run and people to kill. When I come back, I'll just have to paint over you since you've made a mess of the ceiling already. Seriously, if I were a painting, I wouldn't cry myself to death. Have some manners! It should be a privelage to be a work of art."

With one last glance at Ozma, Damion chuckled and left the ballroom.

Damion stood in a hall filled with stone creatures. The creatures of Oz he had cursed had been moved outside of the ballroom. He had big plans for them. And like any other black magician about to go to war, he began speaking his brilliant incantation.

0o0o0o0o

Nudge rolled out of King Scarecrow's building first, followed by everyone else. Klissa gasped as she looked at the black sky. The night held ominous feelings all around, suffocating the happiness from everyone . . . Almost destroying their hope.

"King," Nudge glanced over his shoulder, "The wind has changed."

A sudden roar of thunder caused everyone to jump.

Scarecrow took a few steps forward, standing next to Nudge. He mumbled, "It's beginning."

0o0o0o0o

Dorothy ran swiftly through the tall grass. She could see lights shining through windows in front of her. She had never come to Munchkin City this way before. A feeling of relief washed over her when she finally stepped onto a gray brick. It was the other road leading into the city's center. If only she had time to enjoy the petite buildings that resembled doll houses.

"_I love you, Daddy!"_ A child's voice was heard in the distance, along with a growing rumble of chatter and what sounded like crying.

Glinda glowed with life. She was far, but Dorothy could never mistake the beautiful witch for anyone else. It was so good seeing this city again, and seeing the one woman who helped Dorothy through her first venture through Oz.

"Glinda!" Dorothy felt a little childish running up to her with her arms open. She pushed through hundreds of munchkins to reach her.

"My dear!" Glinda's eyes widened. "You're back? But . . . how?"

Dorothy panted, "I'll explain later. Why is everyone out here?"

"They are surprisingly ready to fight with us in this war against Damion." She noticed Dorothy's cheeks reddening. "Are you alright?"

"It's just . . . You all prepared for a war this quickly, with this much support, and I couldn't even defeat him when he was in front of me."

Glinda realized the night was growing darker. "Dorothy, whatever guilt you have, let go. What's important now is that we know you still have your imagination and can help us save Oz. We must make haste. Our time is short and I'm sure Damion is already on his way to the Emerald City. Does he know you are here?"

"No, I don't think so. I came back by choice."

"Well, Miss Glinda," A familiar pudgy mayor approached them. "I hope you're happy that the whole city has gone against my wishes. I suppose I have no choice but to fight as well. So, hand me a torch and show me the way."

"Mayor Klip, I . . ."

"We have to go!" Another male munchkin shouted. "Our world is at stake."

Children ran back into their homes with their Mothers or Grandparents. Some wives chose to fight as well, along with several teenagers. Glinda smirked at Dorothy and raised her hands into the air, ready to cast a spell.


	16. XVI

**A/N: Yay for Roman Numerals. hahaha.**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save the Queen)

XVI

"Soldiers!" Trafford spoke in front of his Wheeler Army, "Let us go out into the night not with fear of dying, but with strength, hope, and dignity. Remember what you are fighting for, and remember . . . Wheelers will fight and together unite!" He wasn't a bad Captain, just never showed up on time. Nudge rolled his eyes, for he was the one who usually ended up taking charge of the army. Even Klek, the klutzy reporter was a better fighter than Trafford.

A sea of wheelers cheered, apparently ready for the war. No one knew how it would begin, or if they would be preparing for nothing. Damion was clearly a crafty man with magical powers equal to any respectable wizard or witch from Oz's history. He would not let Oz off the hook after all the trouble he already caused.

Scarecrow and Jack walked to a weaponry store near the edge of town. There, they gathered as many swords, shields, and armor as they could, and placed them all in a wheelbarrow. In a few moments, they brought the weapons back to the awaiting wheeler army and handed out every last dagger.

"King Scarecrow!" Klissa yelled, "Up in the sky, what is it?"

The sky was black, but not too black to see giant black birds flying towards their precious city.

Scarecrow gaped and stammered, "It's the . . . the . . . Willowrig!"

They flew elegantly into the city, swooping dangerously everywhere, but not landing. Jack nearly fell backwards while trying to hide under an awning of the bakery shop. Wheelers scampered like rats, unbeknowst to their fate. The city felt cold and deathly like a graveyard.

"Nudge, what do we do?" Klissa ran to her lieutenant in hopes for a simple answer.

"Everyone hide!" Screamed a scared wheeler.

Scarecrow stared into the sky with confusion. "Wait!" He caught some of the citizens' attentions.

"King?" Jack came out from his hiding spot.

In the distance there was a speck of red. It became bigger, clearer to see in the frightening atmosphere. Everyone stopped running, though the willowrig slowly inched towards the ground. In a second, Scarecrow smiled from ear to ear.

"Dorothy."

The red willowrig flew gently into the city carrying Dorothy Gale, who was apparently directing it where to land. The other birds landed in vacant areas carrying munchkins from Munchkin City. Faces expressed shock and wonder. The giant birds did not attack, nor did they appear ready to. Once the red willowrig landed, Dorothy flashed a smile at her awaiting friends. Sitting behind her was Glinda, and behind her was Mayor Klip - looking pale as a ghost.

Jack ran to the willowrig and said, "Dorothy, you're alive."

She jumped off the bird and ran into Jack's welcoming arms.

"Of course," she replied, "I couldn't let you do this on your own, now could I?"

"But," Jack stepped back and asked, "How did you get back on your own?"

"I'll tell you all the story later. Right now we need to help these poor people off of the willowrigs' backs. Glinda lured them into Munchkin City with magic." She went on to complete her story, "We didn't realize one of the mothers would come too. Aside from the one we rode in on, all the females stayed at home. we couldn't force them here."

Jack forced a small laugh and nodded his head. His feet and hands shook like leaves.

"Don't be nervous, Jack." Glinda came down from the red willowrig and said, "They adore Dorothy, and wouldn't hurt us when I summoned them. Taming a wild creature is possible, you know."

"But taming a wild Mayor isn't." Dorothy joked.

Mayor Klip was struggling with a decision whether to jump off of the bird's back or to climb down it's feathers.

"Glinda," Scarecrow approached the threesome. "I'm so happy you're back, and with more support than needed. Maybe Damion will retreat."

"Don't count on it." Mayor Klip said, fumbling off of the last feather. "We saw something approaching the city, but not sure what. Whatever it is, it's headed here pretty damn quickly."

With a slight nod of his crowned head, Scarecrow said, "Fine. Well, we'd better prepare for our attack. I'll alert Trafford. He's in charge tonight. I don't know why . . . He's never around. Dorothy, I have a special plan for you. I was going to have Glinda do it, but seeing as you're back . . ."

"Yes, Sir." Dorothy readied herself to listen carefully.

Meanwhile, Klissa fought with all her might to pay attention to Trafford. Nudge had made fighting sound like a divine right, while Captain Trafford made it sound like a trip to a candy factory. War wasn't something to take lightly, especially in her favorite city in Oz.

"I'm sick of hearing his motor-mouth," She joked to Klek, who had just arrived.

Klek laughed nervously, "_Yeah_. I'm not sure I want to do this. I don't want to die tonight."

Silence fell between the two.

" . . . and so, if something approaches you, stab it hard until you believe its dead." Trafford really _didn't_ stop talking.

Nudge rolled in front of Trafford and shouted, "This is Oz! We are going to fight. Basically, that sums it up. Some might die, some might be injured. But you all know why you are here, in front of me. Let's go get him."

"Thanks for taking my place," Trafford said with a stern look. "You know, I never liked you, Nudge. You were always trying to be Captain. Maybe I'll just let you go."

Nudge faced his superior, "You know what? I don't care if you do. It's high time someone else steps up to the plate. You're a horrible Captain. You act tough, but always disappear when there are things to be done. Even if you do fire me, I'll still fight with all the strength I have."

"Leiutenant," Klissa said quietly. She stayed unseen in the midst of the croud.

_**"Stop!"**_ Scarecrow bellowed into the air. "It's coming."

Glinda suddenly disappeared, leaving only words spoken to the King behind her. The red willowrig chirped loudly and flew into the sky, followed by all the others. Trafford stood in front of his army, Nudge next to him as an equal.

"This is it. No more waiting." Dorothy spoke to herself, trying to boost her confidence once more. "We can do this."

"Dorothy," Jack gripped her hand tightly, "If something happens, I want you to know how much I love you. You're just like a mom to me."

"Please don't talk like that, Jack. We can overcome this." She stayed calm, watching the sky fill with lightning.

Scarecrow sighed and spoke to Dorothy, "Don't forget what I told you to do."

"I won't, King Scarecrow." She held a look of triumph in her eyes.

Jack shook violently once more, but let go of Dorothy's hand once and for all. "I'm going to fight for Mom."

"Hey," Dorothy looked into Jack's hollow eyes, "I love you too."

The ground began to quake, stopping anyone from moving. They all watched as a translucent blue shield bubbled around the city. It was Glinda's magic shield. They breathed deeply . . .

And all at once, they came.


	17. XVII

**A/N: Holy Moly I have got to keep writing this. I'm almost done, and hope you are all enjoying this as much as I am. I won't be putting Author's Notes until the next to last chapter, so I thank you all for being with me this far. **

**ok so I just realized Nudge had an accent in the earlier chaptres and it disappeared. I'm gonna fix that soon. He won't have an accent and everyone will be happy. hahaha.**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save the Queen)

XVII

No one knew exactly how the creatures broke through the magic shield, but they did. Their motives were to hunt and destroy anyone or anything that did not agree to surrender to Damion. Emerging through the shield first was a familiar man made entirely out of tin. He held a golden axe by his side. Behind him stood several more men just like him.

"It's impossible," Scarecrow declared, "Tin Man has been cloned."

Entering from another side of the city was Tik-Tok, or at least a hundred of his clones. Each side of the city being invaded by a creature of Oz that had been victimized by Damion. Lions entered the back of the city, and dozens of Sworks came into view.

"What is this?" Nudge asked no one in particular.

Dorothy was next to speak, her voice trembling in awe. "Damion has cloned everyone that was turned to stone. How do we know which one is the real version of them?"

"Only way to find out," Trafford appeared by her side, "is to attack. We can't wait any longer."

"Oh, _now_ he plans something . . ." Klissa mumbled to herself.

Dorothy's eyebrows raised. "But we'd kill the real versions if we aren't careful."

"That's a risk we have to take," Trafford said, raising a broad sword.

The clones began closing in on the center of the city. Now Dorothy knew it was all a plan. She had to help quickly in order to pursue her other duties. Following Scarecrow, Dorothy held her own sword given to her by Nudge. Scarecrow was heading for Tik-Tok and his many clones.

"Tik-Tok will be easy to find. I'm sure Damion doesn't know that the real one can't die, just run out of power." Scarecrow took a hard swing at the first Tik-Tok.

Instantly, it shattered into dust. Dorothy felt confident enough to swing at the next one, which also shattered.

"Scarecrow," She said, dodging an attack, "this seems too easy. There must be something we aren't aware of."

"Good call, Dorothy. Keep your eyes peeled."

Nudge was dodging the lion's fierce claws as Klissa drove a sword through its heart. The lion broke in pieces like an overcooked clay pot. Nudge stood back up and quickly struck another lion in its head. Klissa fought her way towards Trafford to see how he was doing with the cloned wheeler, Swork. To her surprise, Trafford was gone.

"Always talk and no action." She said as a clone wheeler hit her in the side.

She counter-attacked with a high kick, which sent it smashing into a brick wall. The wheeler clones seemed smarter than predicted, for they circled around Klissa without hesitation. She panicked and looked around for an escape route.

"Don't worry!" Called Klek, "I've got you, Klissa."

Klek, the least aggressive wheeler tripped over a dead clone's head as he neared his friend. The circle of wheeler clones raised their hands simutaneously, holding deathly steel at the ready. Klek threw his sword violently at a clone's head and charged into it with his body weight. The clone collapsed on the ground. The others stood their ground and slammed their swords in the center of the circle.

"Klissa!" The scream from Klek's mouth caused the nearest clone to turn and face him.

A sudden river of anger flowed through Klek's veins. He picked up his sword and swung with all his might, hitting the enemy easily. He charged into the next clone and groaned fiercly. One-by-one, the stone and clay clones were lying broken or in dust piles on the gravel.

A voice behind Klek startled him. "Damn, you know how to fight."

"Wha-?"

"Klek, you're my hero." Klissa hugged Klek and laughed. "They don't call me the fastest wheeler for nothin'. Now let's kick some ass."

The Munchkins were very smart people. They moved swiftly about the tin-men that came into the city from the North. Never in a million years did any of them think they'd be trying to kill the Tin-Man, or dodge such a powerful golden axe. The clanging of tin onto the ground was the sign of the first victory. Mayor Klip was even fighting like a true Oz citizen; He stabbed an enemy right in the chest with a pitchfork. Another tin-man was defeated simply by making a few dents in it.

"Where's Glinda?" Mayor Klip asked Relik, a skinnier munchkin with great agility.

Relik shrugged his shoulders before saying, "Don't know. Wherever she is, she better come back quick. I can't keep running and hiding from these damned axes. Someone's gonna get hurt."

"I know."

Mayor Klip ducked out of the way as Relik jabbed his dagger into a tin-man's arm, and another in his side.

"Wait," A munchkin named Burt appeared. "Glinda's taking care of the willowrig. She'll be back, you know she will."

The three munchkin men stared up towards the sky, realizing what Burt was talking about. At least three or four willowrig were perched on each and every building in Emerald City, watching Glinda for a sign to make their move. She was seated upon the red willowrig, perched upon the emergency tower. She could be easily seen by anybody, but was creating a new protective shield for the city.

"Scarecrow," Dorothy said, taking a second sword for her empty hand. "Why are some of the clones turning into stone and some clay when we kill them?"

"To confuse us. Remember Tik-Tok had been turned to stone. Damion is probably hoping for us to stop fighting if we think we're going to kill our friend. If some of them are stone, it's harder to find the real one."

The explanation almost made complete sense to Dorothy. However, she was still unsure of Damion's motives. Sending clones into the most popular city of Oz really wasn't a smart idea. Dorothy, Scarecrow, and many others were already defeating most of the Tik-Tok clones, and were sure to find the real one soon.

As for Scarecrow, even he was hazy on the battle's outcome. If Tik-Tok wasn't found, or was killed, Dorothy would be heartbroken. The possibilities of depressing outcomes were endless. The King tried to push thoughts into the back of his mind so he could focus, and not step on anymore piles of stone, ash, and rock.

"Dorothy!" Jack called almost jubilantly. He didn't care about the pieces of dead clone next to his foot.

She ran to his side. "What is it?"

There he was, weapon weilded in an arm which was stopped in mid-air, feet turned towards Dorothy. Time froze with exhaustion. Dorothy heard her weapons clang on the ground, dropped carelessly. Her feet pounded on the ashpault towards the motionless Tik-Tok. When she reached him, she immediatle knew it was the real one by the mismatched and gentle color of his eyes, one blue and one emerald.

"Tik-Tok." A loving hand smoothed over the iron of his face.

Nothing was said. His speech had run out.

Dorothy felt a few cold tears liven her cheeks a bit. Her hands turned the speech and thinking key to help. She left his motion alone just in case it was a trick.

"Tik-Tok." She said again with more certainty.

A familiar deep voice rose from deep within the iron man's soul. "Dorothy. Dorothy, it's really you."

"Yes." Her hand reached to wind up his motion. "Are you alright?" She asked, wiping her eyes.

Tik-Tok answered simply, "I am. You need to know something."

Dorothy nodded.

"Since I am a machine," he began. "I am the only one not affected by Damion's spell. Even if you find the real versions of everyone he cloned, they can't escape his control. You need the Ruby Slippers to undo the spell on everyone. Lion, Tin-Man, and Swork can be found, but they will still follow Damion's orders to search and destroy."

"Well," Dorothy replied, "I have something you should know too. Damion doesn't know I'm here right now. It's a long story that I'm sure everyone will tell you after, but I need to disappear soon and find those Ruby Slippers on my own."

"Yes," Scarecrow approached the two. "you do need to find them . . . and fast."


	18. XVIII

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XVIII

The Red Willowrig gazed into the sky, and began chirping softly. Glinda quickly finished her protective spell and cast it on the Emerald City's current army. Munchkins, wheelers, and many others felt a sudden rain of strength and defense shower upon them. Wheelers took the sharpest weapons between their wheel hands and swung with even more aggression. The people of Munchkin City devised plans to confuse the tin-men with their speed and attack when least expected. Glinda, however, stayed put and kept her eyes open for any surprises. It was unfortunate that she could only use magic to cure, protect, and aid, rather than harm.

With the sky blacker than coal, it was hard to see at times where to swing a weapon or when to dodge and attack. Scarecrow had fought before, but never with so many enemies. He was frightened, but had faith in his people and in himself. Nothing mattered anymore. No royal crown or throne could ever make Scarecrow feel as important as being in a war for his world.

"Tik-Tok," Scarecrow shouted over a roaring thunder. "I want you to accompany Dorothy to the Emergency Tower. She needs to get out of here and find Damion."

"Yes, Your Highness." Tik-Tok agreed and grabbed Dorothy's left hand.

The feeling of the iron hand on her smooth skin caused goosebumps to appear. She hadn't ever known Tik-Tok to be this cold, but understood under the decreasing temperature. Clouds formed in the sky, though could barely be seen. This didn't prevent Dorothy from seeing her own breath fog in front of her like puffs of smoke.

"Why is it so cold out?" Asked Dorothy.

Tik-Tok glanced at her akwardly and said, "This isn't a time for weather-watching. We need to keep moving right now."

The Red Willowrig's eyes focused in the distance. It squinted and began to chirp angrily. Glinda widened her eyes, expecting to see something right in front of her. Tiny specks were moving closer to the city. The chirping became close to a shriek. Other willowrig spotted what the female had, and began to screech as well. Glinda held her hands over her ears and finally spotted what the tiny specks were.

A tin-man swung his mighty axe, slicing the skin of Mayor Klip's leg. He fell to the ground and rolled to the side, dodging another hit. The sword he held scratched the bottom of the clone's foot, but did no real damage. Grunkey, a helpful wheeler came instantly, acting as a shield for the Mayor of Munchkin City. He held a dagger between his hands and jabbed sharply into the tin-man's eye socket. The tin enemy shook his head violently before crumbling into pieces on the frost-bitten grass.

Tiny snowflakes began to fall from the cloudy sky. The full moon emerged from the dark and lit the city morbidly. Wheelers all around had been fighting the lions for quite some time. They noticed the snow and aknowledged it as an added challenge.

One lion headed towards Relik, a munchkin who was busy fighting his own battle against a tik-tok. Jack saw this and lunged at the lion with a spear, driving it right into its soul. The lion roared one last time before lying broken on the ground.

"That's it," Jack yelled to no one in particular. "I've had enough of these clones."

He took the spear and ran through a croud of munchkins, heading right towards a tin-man who was hovering over a scared soldier. Instantly, the spear rammed through one side of the tin and out the other.

Above the Emerald City flew hundreds of flying monkeys. They dove into the city, dropping fireballs into the streets. Glinda let out a deafening scream and snapped her fingers. The willowrig lifted off of each building and began flying after each and every monkey. They did not retreat, however. Fireballs landed, causing panic. Munchkins ran into vacant houses, leaving weapons scattered outside. Wheelers kept on fighting, but quickly escaped possible deaths. Scarecrow's sweat poured from the body he once considered strong. He lept out of the way as a lion chased after him.

"No!" Dorothy was on the first starewell of the Emergency Tower.

Tik-Tok, who was right behind her, gasped in utter disbelief. Their favorite city was a nightmare.

Willowrig swiped flying monkeys with their claws, causing some of them to die. Other monkeys who were too quick to get hit continued to drop fireballs on the city. One willowrig clobbered a flying monkey, sending it from the sky to a splattered death on the wet ground.

The second Glinda saw the fireballs, she knew Damion was in the city somewhere. No magician, however powerful, could do this much damage to a city without being near or in it. Such black magic caused fear to rise in Glinda's throat, choking her of all known spells that could help. She sorted through her mind faster than she could handle. The fire had to be put out somehow, someway, and there was no time to waste. For a white witch, Glinda was not proud of herself. The red willowrig was a way to protect her while she used all of her power to protect the city. Its poisonous claws would kill instantly, giving an obvious reason as to why Damion stayed away from her.

"Lion!" Scarecrow allowed his eyes to navigate. He heard a distinct roaring a few seconds beforehand.

Lying on the ground was _the_ Lion, King of the Forest, dishevelled and wounded. A munchkin had drove a spear across its back. Blood leaked from the gash, spilling on the fresh powdering of snow.

Glinda found the source of noise from atop the tower and argued whether to help or continue finding a spell for the fire. She had never been in such a terrifying situation before, and felt helpless herself.

King Scarecrow and Nudge raced to Lion, who was unconcious.

"Bring him into a house or building. He needs to be kept away from the other clones. Get him away." King Scarecrow had heard Tik-Tok tell Dorothy that the real versions of Damion's victims were still under his control.

Nudge gathered a couple of wheelers to carry Lion into a nearby building. They stopped abrubtly as the citizens of the Emerald City emerged from their homes, armed and ready to fight.

It finally came to her. Glinda raised her arms in the air and closed her eyes. The snow slowly melted in mid-air and became rain. She watched as some of the smaller fires burned out without problem. A few of the more powerful fires reached houses, and latched on like leeches. She was weak, and her magic could not be used much longer. After all of the protective spells Glinda used, she was surprised her body gave her any force for a simple rainfall. Despite her exhaustion, she kept bringing rain upon the orange flames.

"The fire is dying out." Scarecrow said, giving the final tik-tok a hard whack in the head.

Citizens of the Emerald City took care of the wounded and fought alongside the Army of Oz. Tin-men stalked about, chopping anything in sight. Sworks raced towards targets everywhere in the city. The Flying Monkey League had all been defeated, leaving corpses in various places. Willowrig flapped their wings almost excitedly and landed back on the roofs to rest. The rain dribbled on their feathers, giving them a blinding shine.

As the rainfall began to pour harder, it also became more diffcult to fight. Even Klissa was moving slower than usual.

Dorothy ran into a storage room on the fifth floor and pulled Tik-Tok in with her.

"I can't drag you along with me. I need to find Damion myself." She searched on the cluttered shelves.

"Are you looking for something?" Tik-Tok ignored the topic of leaving his best friend.

"No. Just rummaging. I wanted to see if there was anything helpful in here." She faced Tik-Tok once more and said, "I'm going now. I have a feeling I know where Damion might be."

"How? He could be anywhere."

She placed both hands lovingly on his shoulders. "Trust me."

The only thing Tik-Tok could do was agree.


	19. XIX

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XIX

There was a moment when Dorothy doubted herself. She felt a ball of nerves twist inside of her stomach. Even though Scarecrow had ordered her to the Emergency Tower, she knew Damion wasn't there. Deep down in her heart of hearts, Dorothy knew Scarecrow had only sent her here with Tik-Tok to stay away from harm. There was nothing more precious to Scarecrow than a friend, even one who had lost touch for a long time.

"Where do you think Damion is?" Asked a curious Tik-Tok.

Dorothy replied, "In a place no one would consider."

He gulped.

"No need to worry," She took her last steps to the top floor of the tower. "I'm going to see Glinda for a bit. I need to talk to her."

In a moment, Tik-Tok sighed and turned around. He started to walk back downstairs.

Dorothy held back her tears. "I promise I'll be alright."

The round, iron man soon faded from view, soon exitnig the tower into the dark outside.

"Glinda," Said Dorothy. She was now at the top of the Emergency Tower, feeling the rain pound on her flushed face.

A weakened Glinda sat slouched on her willowrig guard.

"Are you alright?" Dorothy wondered.

She straightened her back and said, "Yes, Dorothy, but I'm becoming weaker. I cannot provide much more protection for this city. Did Scarecrow send you in here to be safe?"

"He did. Tik-Tok was with me. I guess Scarecrow didn't realize how dangerous this war would be. He even told me a plan to bring back the Ruby Slippers. But with Damion nowhere to be found, the plan means nothing." Dorothy took a step closer and inhaled deeply. She looked Glinda square in the eyes and said, "I'm going to find him myself. It's what needs to be done. Please, give me advice."

"Damion, despite his knowledge of magic, is still a human being. I cannot hand out advice on him, for there's really none to be given. He is like you, Dorothy. You know his story. He has told you of his past. What we do not know will not help us in this situation." Glinda reached beside her and pulled a large sword into view.

Dorothy took the sword and glaanced at its shining reflection of the sky.

"It's not much," Glinda lowered her head. "but it can give you some protection. I have enchanted it with the last remaining energy I have. I must rest, Dorothy . . . Or else I will die."

The shock of hearing such words caused Dorothy to realize how vital winning was now more than ever. Oz was full of real beings, whether or not it was dream-like. She could not wander around aimlessly anymore in a field of flowers and childish wishes.

A fraction of a smile danced on the corner of Glinda's mouth. She spoke above a whisper, "I'm certain you should check important places of the city before anywhere else. My intuition is never wrong. Trust me."

Glinda tugged on a feather of the willowrig. It hovered a foot in the air.

"Where will you go?" Dorothy asked.

"For now," Glinda winked and said, "where you and I first met. I can rest there. The Emerald City will be protected by my magic for another few hours, but then it will wear out."

Dorothy nodded.

"Just remember, Dorothy Gale, it is not only the citizens and creatures of Oz who count on you . . ."

Glinda tapped her foot against the willowrig. It followed orders and began to fly away, into the blackest night Oz encountered.

_It's not only the citizens and creatures who count on you . . ._

Dorothy held the sword by her side and replayed Glinda's sentence over and over in her mind. She knew Oz. She loved Oz. It was, and would forever be a part of her history. Dorothy couldn't let anyone down, especially herself. This was a war. Dorothy never imagined Oz in such danger. If only Damion would just give up. But no, Dorothy didn't want it to end that easy now. Her insides churned with a new hatred for the man who attacked her friends, and crushed her dreams unintentionally by practically saying she'd never come through for the world that once saved her from having a miserable childhood.

_I really didn't have it that bad._ Dorothy thought to herself as she stepped out of the tower. She observed the battles in front of her with an opened mind, noticing how hard everyone fought for their land. It wasn't so simple for Dorothy to understand the meaning of true friendship. She never let anyone close to her in school, or even at home. When she had left Oz the second time, she tried to confide in friends, but only grew to hate them.

She would begin to tell someone at school about her adventures, never getting past the first sentence. _My chicken found an old key . . ._ Dorothy stopped herself each time, and realized no one would ever understand the reality of her journey through such a strange land. One day, it dawned on her that she could never tell anyone that Oz was a second home for her, a world of mystery and amazement. Thus, her hatred sparked for anyone who said they had problems in their life. She was the one with the real problem. No one to talk to, and continuously dreaming of a place that existed only to her.

And one morning, Dorothy awoke to hearing her Aunt and Uncle fighting.

"_She needs help, Henry._" Aunt Emily said.

Henry pounded a fist on the wooden kitchen table. "Don't you think I know that, Em? She walks around in a haze everyday, saying she misses her real friends. She'll go to school and come home the same way. We tell her she can bring her friends home, and she says, _they live in Oz._ Em, Dorothy still believes that dream she had was real. It happened over four years ago."

"We could bring her to the hospital. They'll question her and-"

"-and put her in an asylum!" Henry yelled, unaware that their niece was standing on the stairwell.

Dorothy told herself time and time again that Oz wasn't real. It never worked. But from that moment on, she knew she had to lie to herself. Oz wasn't real. Oz was a dream. Every creature, flower, sensation, and memory was cast aside. Dorothy begun a new life from then on, always obeying her Aunt and Uncle's wishes. She avoided the topic of sleep so it could never snowball into confessing her latest dream of Scarecrow and her skipping merrily down a road made of yellow bricks.

But with bottling emotions came consequences.

A new chapter of life started for Dorothy. She became a teenager and held raging emotions, finally setting the atmosphere for a will to live against the very guardians who helped her grow. Toto, Dorothy's loving dog, was getting old. He couldn't hear too well as time moved on, and had to be put down. This event sent Dorothy overboard. She tried running away multiple times, always failing to move beyond the farm's last fence.

_King Scarecrow's Tower._

The sword felt heavy as Dorothy carried it with her. Rain still fell from the haunting clouds above, blurring her vision slightly. It reminded her of crying. The castle was in front of her and she could still hear the fighting in the distance. Glinda had told her to check places of importance in the Emerald City. Dorothy only knew of two places with such significance: The Emergency Tower and King Scarecrow's Tower. Scarecrow's home looked like a giant buisness building found in cities she heard her Uncle talk about with the people who bought his crops. But with a few steps inside of the tower, it felt like Oz again. Paintings of munchkins were scattered about, and a plaque or two were spotted every couple of rooms.

Searching each room would be a hassle, but Dorothy could not think of any other possible-

"The Congregation Room!"

Such sudden thoughts rarely came to Dorothy, for she had become so closed-minded before she returned to Oz this time around. It felt refreshing, almost as if something had rinsed all other bad thoughts from her and replaced them with the old, caring ones she used to have as a child.


	20. XX

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XX

As Dorothy descended the stairs from the first floor, she thought long and hard of how she would retrieve the Ruby Slippers without any bloodshed. True, the sword was given to her by Glinda, but perhaps it was just for confidence.

Fear took hold of Dorothy the way it had years ago before Toto died. She was standing in front of Uncle Henry, wide-eyed and nervous as he explained that the dog had no more life in it. The truth was, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry wanted Dorothy to face reality, and death was the only thing thought of as a way to wake her up. Despite Dorothy's pleas and promises that she no longer believed in Oz, even the mention of its name infuriated Henry. He didn't want Dorothy's future jeapordized by a fantasy.

Now, Dorothy stood in front of a door, questioning to go farther. If only she had spoken up that last day before Toto was gone. She could have said something to change their minds. Maybe that Toto was still in their family, no matter how old. Or perhaps Dorothy could have pleaded for one more day with her loyal best friend. Instead of having her head in the clouds all day, she should have spent more time with Toto. After she held Toto for the last time, she vowed never to think of Oz again, for it had ultimately brought the death of her only friend.

If she were to run away from this scene, would she regret not helping Oz anymore? The thoughts swirled in her mind, but her hand found the doorknob. It didn't matter anymore. If she didn't help, it would only be another regret in her life.

_I'll do it for Toto._

The door opened a crack and Dorothy peeked inside. The Underground Congregation Room was far too big for her to see past a few inches.

There was no more time to waste. Dorothy walked into the room and stepped fowards cautiously. The room wasn't as dark as outside, but her eyes had trouble adjusting to another darkness.

Suddenly Dorothy felt a force push her to the ground. Her hand gripped tighter to the sword. A wheeler emerged, towering over her.

"Trafford?" Dorothy had seen him a few times, but not enough to recognize him immediately. The image of the well-built wheeler was sketched sloppily in her mind.

He laughed heartily and boomed, "Dorothy Gale!"

"What are you doing in here? Aren't you supposed to be helping outside with Nudge's Army?" Dorothy quickly stood up and looked at the frustrated wheeler.

"Come with me," He said, smirking wickedly.

She followed, anxious as to why he was going deeper into the room. They passed an extremely long table where Scarecrow always held meetings. Trafford led Dorothy to the end of the Congregation Room and snapped his fingers.

As the room lit up, Dorothy could clearly see something was not right. Spen, who she had not seen for quite some time, stood with daggers in his eyes. He mumbled something to Trafford, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"What you don't know about this room," Said Trafford, "is that behind this wall is a secret room that the King built for emergencies. Sure, the Emerald City has the Emergency Tower, but King Scarecrow had this room."

Dorothy asked, "Why are you telling me this? Is there something I should know?"

Spen rolled forwards and explained, "We aren't on your side, Dorothy."

"Sorry?" She couldn't believe her ears.

"Damion offered us royalties," Trafford said, "for when he rules Oz. All we had to do was comply with his wishes."

"-and give him information from the inside." Spen blurted.

"You both were . . ." Dorothy took a step back. "You lied to us all. And Spen, I thought we were friends."

"Why do you think I helped you out of my field? Damion thought you would land in the Emerald City directly, not in my field. I was the only one who knew how to get out the fastest." Spen smirked, happy with himself for tricking the King.

The sweat on the palm of Dorothy's hand made the sword slippery in her tightening grasp. If killing the wheelers before her was a task needed to be done, she would have to face the horribly composed music.

Trafford tapped on the wall playfully and looked at Spen. They nodded to one another and closed in on Dorothy.

"You said there was a room behind that wall," Said Dorothy. "Why did you bring that to my attention?"

Spen quickly grabbed Dorothy by her shirt collar. He pulled her closer and said, "You'll be spending the rest of your time in there until further notice. Damion would like the company while he works."

Trafford tapped on the wall again, this time in a distinct three-one-two pattern. A space the size of a door opened in the middle of the wall. Despite how much Dorothy struggled and kicked, she could not break away from Spen.

She raised the sword instantly and sliced the wheeler's arm. His yell was far worse than imagined, but the grip on Dorothy let loose. She swung the sword again, hitting Spen's leg. He collapsed in pain. Trafford ran after Dorothy, who climbed onto the table. She stood above the strong wheeler and threatened to kill him. Spen was soon after her as well, unaware of how much crimson blood was spilling into pools on the stone floor.

0o0o0o0o

"We're finally done with this," Scarecrow announced to Jack and some nearby wheelers.

Jack sighed, "Now we wait for something else. Damion should show up since we defeated his army. Do you think he'll send a similar attack on our city?"

"I'm not sure, Jack, but she should help the injured. I heard Mayor Klip from Munchkin City was hurt badly. His leg was cut deep."

The moment Scarecrow took his first step westward, he felt the ground shake.

"What was that?" Nudge asked.

The ground shook harder, causing few people to lose their balance. King Scarecrow noticed the rain had stopped. Jack lost his balance completely, ending up sitting on the trembling ground.

Piles of clay and stone the had collected from the dead clones moved closer together with each shaking second.

"It's not stopping!" Mayor Klip shouted to his friend Hunter.

Hunter stared at the moving stone. "It's alive!"

"Jack," Nudge shouted above the rumbling noises. "Go find Tik-Tok and Dorothy! They're in the Emergency Tower."

"No we're not," Tik-Tok said, walking towards the group. "Dorothy went to find Damion. She didn't want to stay in the tower forever, King Scarecrow."

Before anyone could speak again, the ground stopped shaking. The deafening silence took everyone by surprise. Suddenly, the piles of stone clumped together across the city.

"I can't move!" Someone shouted into the sky.

Jack tried moving his feet, but the stone collected around it, locking him into place. Scarecrow gasped, paying almost no attention to his own immobility. Tik-Tok was stuck too. Nudge rolled towards a building, but the stone moved in trails closer to him, ultimately locking his wheels the the ground. Everyone's feet was trapped by stone.

"Stone that moves?"

Scarecrow observed the ground with very open eyes. "It's not ordinary stone."

He was right. The stone wrapped around their legs and soon bound their entire bodies. Faces emerged on each and every stone binding all over Emerald City. People who had fallen over from the quaking only had their heads uncovered.

Jack felt the pressure from the stone tighten.

_"Gnomes."_

"Damion's Father was the Gnome King," Scarecrow raised his voice for everyone around him to hear. "He must have persuaded the gnomes in the underground to attack somehow."

Nudge wanted to hit his head from being so dumb. Everything made sense to him now.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and said, "No. Damion had inside men. You've been double-crossed, Your Highness."


	21. XXI

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XXI

Spen lie on the floor, dead from loss of blood. It had spilled all along his arm and leg, flowing like a river around him.

Trafford lunged at Dorothy, swiping his wheel-hand at her face. She blocked him with her sword and swiped once at him, taking a half-step forwards. He lunged at her again with both hands, but failed.

"You don't even have a weapon!" Dorothy shouted. "I could kill you."

Trafford replied, "But you don't have the strength I do, nor the agility."

He ran around Dorothy and hit her hard in the back. She arched and heard the silver clanging onto the floor. Her hand had finally given up on holding such a heavy sword for so long. Trafford aimed for Dorothy's head, but she rolled under the table and pulled the sword with her.

"You can't stay under there all night." Trafford taunted.

Dorothy screamed and took one final strike at his legs. The sword cut through both of them, and Trafford's body fell backwards to the ground. His wheel legs fell with a thud. Dorothy crawled out from under the table and held the sword over Trafford's body.

"This is for Toto!" She yelled.

"Who's Toto?" Was all Trafford could say before the blade pierced his flesh, driving through his meaty muscles and to his back, where it stuck.

Dorothy's breathing was rough, she felt her body shake after realizing what she had just done. As she pulled the sword out of Trafford, his body jumped one final time before he was completely lifeless. the sword's bloody appearance struck a nerve in Dorothy, sending her right over the edge of sanity. There was nothing that could change her mind now; She was going to kill Damion.

In front of Dorothy emerged a blue light from the emergency room Trafford had opened. She stepped over the two corpses to get to it, and curiously glanced inside.

"Damion?"

The sword dripped blood, but that didn't stop Dorothy from taking it in the room with her.

Damion's body was stiff, his eyes closed. He was surrounded by ribbons of blue and black smoke. Dorothy looked at the Ruby Slippers on his feet. They were black as coal, but Dorothy knew it was them. They had changed color when he put them on in front of her.

"Damion," Dorothy spoke, "stop hurting my world."

There was no response. Damion didn't even open his eyes to look at his presumably dead enemy. She stood dumbfounded, speechless, and in awe.

The wisps of smoke grew, and added a red color. Dorothy looked at her sword and nodded to herself. If she was going to do it, she would do it now, while Damion was too busy conjuring magic to pay attention to her. Her sword raised high in the air, ready to strike down. She suddenly felt a sensation pulsating through her arms. A beam of white light shot like a bullet onto the Ruby Slippers. The ribbons of smoke disappeared.

Damion's eyes popped open and immediately saw Dorothy standing in front of him. He said nothing, but pointed a finger at her. A string of black slithered towards her. Dorothy drew the sword in front of her and blocked it. The string reflected off of the sword and hit Damion.

In a second, Dorothy lunged at the Black Magician's body. The blade cut through Damion's chest.

"What?"

The body of which Dorothy aimed at turned into ash and fell, lying on top of the Ruby Slippers.

0o0o0o0o

"_Alright,_" Klissa said in an over-joyous tone. "At least we get to bond this way."

Klek and her were stuck together from the stone. The gnomes were not letting go.

"Please," Klek whined, "the sarcasm is oozing from your mouth. Can we at least try to think of a way to get out of here?"

"Sure," She said with a frown, "be a party pooper."

Scarecrow, on the other hand, was chatting with Jack and Nudge about the situation. Nudge guessed Trafford had double-crossed them since he had always been around for the conversation, but never for the action. Even Spen had disappeared lately. With the whole Wheeler Army and Munchkin Army trapped by gnomes, the thought of escaping seemed impossible.

Above the city, the clouds had faded away. Even the night wasn't so dark. Things in the environment seemed to be returning to normal. The temperature stayed teeth-chattering cold, but no one complained.

"The sky is lighter," Klek said. "and I think I see a few spots in the sky."

The stars soon uncovered themselves and twinkled brightly. A real night time was alas in Emerald City.

Jack half-smiled. "At least we can enjoy the stars before we die."

Scarecrow sighed. Being a King never used to include protecting the entire world. When he first became a king, there was the trouble of Mombi, feared witch in all the lands. She and the Gnome King were very close, but almost hated one another. Mombi visited the Gnome King when he was simply a man looking for power in an underground mountain range in the middle of the Deadly Desert. The Gnomes agreed he could be their ruler, but he would have to sacrifice his human form until complete power over the Land of Oz.

That was the only time Scarecrow knew terror. A time where he could not help or be helped. Now, being held prisoner by the very gnomes that lived forever under the law of the Gnome King was even worse.

"I'm sorry," King Scarecrow said to Nudge. "I never knew fighting for what's right could turn on us."

Nudge spoke clearly, "It's not your fault, Sir. Sometimes soldiers make mistakes."

0o0o0o0o

_It wasn't Damion, _Dorothy thought, _but a clone instead. Where is the real him?_

Dorothy wondered over and over again why the Ruby Slippers would be on a clone and not the real Damion. Surely he hadn't known of her return, so probably didn't expect a visitor. If so, he sacrificed Trafford and Spen, two disposable men who mutinied against their king. Damion seemingly planned for everything from battles to finding his source of power. As Dorothy put on the Ruby Slippers, she wondered if he was ready for a personal attack.

The Ruby Slippers glowed red, returning to their original state. The Congregation Room smelled like rancid meat. Dorothy avoided looking at the dead bodies as she rushed past them and up the stairs to the first floor.

"I have to go to Damion," Dorothy said, staring at her feet. "Find him, Ruby Slippers, and take me to him now."

At first, nothing happened. A simple task of teleporting was too hard for the slippers. They had been abused by Damion, and were tired. Dorothy's will became stronger in each thought. She spoke again to the slippers, wishing for a way to revive them, so to speak.

The thought came to her like a bolt of lightning before a storm. The sword had been enchanted with Glinda's magic. Dorothy held the point of the in between her two feet.

"Ruby Slippers," She said, "take the magic from this sword and regain your strength."

Glinda must have known the slippers would be worn out by now. The sword glimmered brightly as the Ruby Slippers glowed red. The light from the sword was absorbed by the slippers, and it began rusting. The slippers stopped glowing, and the sword was worthless. She threw its rotten body to the side and consentrated very hard on Damion's face. His chiseled jaw line and dark pools of eyes came into her mind. The Ruby Slippers glowed so hard they began to vibrate.

Soon, Dorothy closed her eyes and felt a rush of air circle her body. She was lifted into a whirlpool and disappeared from Scarecrow's Tower.

0o0o0o0o

Klissa gazed at the stars. "I wish I could see Nudge again," She said to herself.

Obviously Klek heard this and asked, "Why?"

"I miss him."

"You miss someone you saw nearly an hour ago?"

"Yes," She answered with a sigh, "and I miss you even more."

Klek rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I don't understand you, Klissa."

"Thank you for the compliment." She replied with a smirk, "It makes me happy in these last moments of our life."


	22. XXII

**A/N: I wasn't going to write any notes for awhile, but I wanted to thank my new reviewers. I'm so glad you are enjoying my story. As the end approaches, I hope you are all pleased with it. I'm guessing maybe three or four chapters left, but I could be wrong. :) **

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XXII

"So," Nudge wondered, "What happened to Tin Man? Did you find him alright?"

Scarecrow replied, "Yeah, he was rusted to another tin man before the rain stopped. And we found Swork too. He was hit in the head with a dead flying monkey. What good is it now, though? We're stuck here and can't see if our friends are alright."

"Even if they were over here, they'd be on Damion's side." Jack added.

Nudge mumbled, "I hope Klissa is alright."

"Don't you care about the other wheelers?" Jack bluntly asked.

"Of course, but I told Klissa when this was all done she could be a lieutenant. Seems senseless now."

"Do you love her?" Scarecrow questioned, knowing it was a bit nosy.

Nudge stayed quiet. The look in his eyes answered for him.

0o0o0o0o

A chilly blanket of snow lie under Dorothy, soaking through her blood-stained dress. She stared up at what would have been a night sky, but found only rock walls and a rock ceiling above her. As Dorothy stood up, she almost felt a familiarity about her current location. The atmosphere held a sense of maliciousness, but also a feeling of nostalgia. The more and more she glanced around the rock-room, the less Dorothy could indicate where she was.

His voice floated in the air like a deadly fog. Dorothy heard her name being called, its echo bouncing off of the walls.

"Dorothy Gale to the rescue." Damion emerged from a very dark corner. "My, my, what a surprise."

She slightly pinched her arm to make sure she was really in front of Damion, ready to murder again.

In merely moments, Damion was already too close to Dorothy for comfort. He towered over her with his confidence, and stared her square in the eyes.

"I find it funny," He said, "that you have returned _alive _after I banished you from Oz. You'd think a powerful wizard like me would've taken better care of you if I hadn't been interrupted by your friends. And now, you're in front of me with a dumb look on your face."

Dorothy cleared her throat. She replied meekly, "I'm here . . . here to . . ."

"You defeated Spen and Trafford, then killed my clone." Damion raised his hand a few inches into the air, directed at Dorothy. "And here you are, in the ruins of the Gnome King's Mountain, with my Ruby Slippers and a chance to what, _destroy_ me?"

Her feet were stuck to the ground. Dorothy was, however, content to the knowledge of her whereabouts. She looked at his feet and saw a pair of black slippers. Both of her eyebrows raised in confusion.

Damion noticed this and spoke, "You must be utterly mind-boggled by now. Yes, I have the Ruby Slippers on, and so do you. The truth is, when I cloned myself, I had to clone the slippers too, or else my magic would not have been so powerful in the Emerald City. I decided to hide out here until everyone was slaughtered, but things didn't work out so well. So, as planned in my brilliant mind, I had the gnomes pull a few tricks. Let's just say your friends are a little held back right now."

"You're a horrible man," Dorothy commented. "What you've done to everyone is evil. They'll never forgive you."

"Yes, that's true. But don't you think I'd have known that by now? I'd like to know, Dorothy, how you got back into Oz."

Realizing her only choice was to answer, Dorothy considered whether or not to lie. She spoke a little louder than before, "I thought over and over again about how you must've gone back and forth into the real world and Oz. I soon discovered that your secret was desperation. You wanted so much to seek revenge for your parents, which tied you to Oz emotionally. In order to come here phsyically, as we are now, you just needed to fall in some kind of coma."

"Smart one _you_ are!" Damion lowered his hand. "You also emotionally attatched yourself to Oz when your precious doggy had to be put to sleep. Not one day passed where you didn't feel anguish growing in your heart of hearts. Life doesn't always end up the way we plan, does it? Parts of your soul chipped away like rotting wood."

"Just because you don't have all the pieces doesn't mean you can't play the game." Dorothy felt her feet move a bit. She was no longer immobile under Damion's power. "But it seems like you're losing . . ."

Damion was in fact, growing weak. His magic had been used for an extreme duration, almost resembling the way Glinda had. He stepped closer to his enemy and held his stare. He would not let such a over-confident teenager defeat him or his purpose in life.

Before she knew it, Dorothy felt her back slam into the rock wall behind her. Damion gripped her shoulder and inhaled sharply. He loved the scent of fear.

"At least you'll be back in your happy home soon," He said in a frighteningly content tone.

Her heels clicked once uncontrollably. Dorothy felt them click again and again. She felt her body swirling into a blur, away from the evil man. The ground was gone beneath her feet, but she knew her slippers remained tightly on her feet.

Damion stared blankly at the wall for a moment, and realized his war had turned into a cat-and-mouse game. He clicked his heels, picturing the gentle and scared face of his victim. The environment changed around him, hazy and blank as he traveled through a whirlpool.

0o0o0o0o

The Emerald City stood silently in the night, not a whisper heard even by the winds themselves. The velvet in the sky revealed stars who lit the streets with hope, and a bright full moon that gave off enough light for everyone to see at least three feet in front of them. Wheelers took their job seriously, and rattled their brains for ways to escape the gnomes.

Nudge felt guilty for not knowing earlier about his traitor. Trafford had been such a mysterious man for as long as anyone could remember. Everytime there was a battle or a meeting to create defensive and offensive plans, he would charge in with the greatest ideas. But he was never there for action. The wheels on the bus kept turning, but Trafford walked along the road of a lonely coward.

"You don't have to feel so bad," Scarecrow mumbled. "How do you think I feel? I'm a horrible king."

Jack chimed in, "You were the greatest, King Scarecrow. If only you could have been there when Dorothy found out you had disappeared during the Gnome King's regime. She was so heartbroken. Everyone loves you. On the other hand, I have a mom, who's probably . . .d. .dead."

"Now that's enough!" Nudge said, "We aren't getting anywhere with self-pity and remorse. We need to think of some way out of here."

"If only Balina was here," Jack blurted, "she could lay eggs on all of these rotten gnomes."

One of the gnomes grunted and tightened his grip on Jack.

"Ow. Let me breathe, would ya?" He wriggled in the bind, but found no slack.

A gust of wind surrounded Nudge. He tried to move his head and view his surroundings, but was too late. A golden axe swung fiercly at the stone. And in the distance, a lion roared.


	23. XXIII

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XXIII

Grass surrounded Dorothy. She knew her will to be away from Damion brought her to Spen Field. Even if he followed her, she would be hard to catch. There was a thump nearby, indicating she had company. Dorothy wasted no time. The wind rushed through her hair as her feet hit the dirt below.

"I can find you," Damion's voice traveled through the thick, green blades.

Even though her footsteps became harder against the ground, Dorothy found herself becoming very quiet. The breath escaping her lips softened and she maneuvered swiftly through the obstacles. Her heart pounded through her rib cage like a jack-in-the-box. The wheels in her aching brain turned, trying to form a plan.

Damion ran as fast as he could through the growing grass. The black jacket of his suit became too heavy and was soon thrown to the ground in mid-step. Sweat beaded from the top of Damion's forhead. He hadn't run like this in years. Chasing such a determined girl reminded him of the stories he heard about her. _The Great Dorothy_ conquered such terrible problems in Oz. This fact didn't scare Damion one bit. It intrigued him to keep on moving against the wind.

0o0o0o0o

Tin Man stood proudly with his golden axe in hand. He watched as the stone around Nudge crumbled to the ground, leaving the gnome with nowhere to run. The mighty axe swung again, hitting Jack's entrapment. Finally, King Scarecrow was freed as well. The three of them stood in astonishment at what the Tin Man had done.

"Are you helping us?" Asked Jack, still weary about the sudden appearance.

Tin Man smiled. "Why else would I swing my axe around you?"

"The spell must've been lifted somehow from our friends," Said Nudge.

"Then," Scarecrow adjusted his crown and replied, "Damion is running out of power."

Meanwhile, Lion was liberating the munchkins from their bind with the gnomes. Klissa cracked her back as Swork broke through her barrier. She ran around and helped the other wheelers. Klek stood in awe, but soon looked to be of assistance as well. The Emerald City was still dark, but held more hope than ever before. The citizens asked about Dorothy, wondering if she had returned yet. No one knew where she was or what she was doing. Scarecrow had faith in Dorothy Gale, and knew that even if she failed at defeating Damion, she would always be remembered for sacrificing so much.

Klissa scoped the ground, watching in disbelief as two flying monkeys writhed in pain. She called Klek over, and they carried them to the Emergency Tower for care. Even if the monkeys fought against the Emerald City, there was always room for forgiveness. Especially under Damion's hypnotic power, most people knew not to judge right away.

Nudge, however, wanted so very badly to strangle the life out of Trafford and Spen. Two wheelers who were aware of what was going on and deliberately double-crossed the people, land, and importance of Oz.

"Lion," Jack ran to his furry pal. "When you were in Ozma's Castle, did Damion say anything about how to free Mom from her curse?"

The city was noisy with people and animals working together. Lion knew Jack was a fragile, sensitive boy. Pumpkinhead or not, Jack wasn't stupid.

Lion truthfully answered, "No. He told me to look at her, and then I don't remember anything. But Jack, if she's not here, she must still be in the castle. That means she must be still alive. If Damion killed her, he would have wanted us to know about it."

Jack understood. He said nothing else and moved towards the munchkins, who were comforting the wounded.

"I should have never let Glinda persuade me," whined Mayor Klip. "Always knew she was a bad egg."

A female munchkin named Jem laughed. "You didn't listen to her, Mayor," She spoke loudly. "If it wasn't for the whole town almost burning your house down, you would have never come out."

"Sam!" Jem's eyes nearly popped from her pale face as she saw her husband being carried away in a cot. She caught up and followed them right into the Emergency Tower. Luckily, her husband only fractured a bone in his leg.

0o0o0o0o

The Ruby Slippers became very dirty from crashing second by second into the ground. Dorothy felt as if she had run for hours. The moonlight allowed her some distance to see where her feet were headed. Any confidence she had suddenly vanished, and was replaced by utter trepidation. Damion was close behind now, she could hear his footsteps pounding the land. Her face felt cold as ice, hair dishevelled and blowing every which way. Blades of grass swayed backwards, giving into the power of the wind.

Damion swore he could smell her sweet perfume dancing under his nose. He gulped hard and jumped over some rocks, not taking any time to care about his landing balance. He regained his speed faster than any average man. In his mind, he knew there was no time to waste. Human or not, Damion felt the rush of an animal instinct wash upon him like a tidal wave. He was going to obtain what was his . . .

Dorothy found a milisecond of time to turn right. Hopefully her enemy would lose her, even for a few moments. Time was a precious jewel not to be taken advantage of, but used wisely and in the best way possible.

_Aahh!_

An ear-splitting shriek erupted from Dorothy's mouth. A few feet in front of her was the Deadly Desert, welcoming with its sandstorms and ultimate black magic. She knew Damion had heard her, but ran in another direction. Something suddenly dug into Dorothy's ankle. Seeing a nearby rock, she crouched behind it to see what was on her foot.

In her shoe was a dagger, which sagged to the side and cut her left ankle. She peeked carefully over the rock, but saw nothing. Her ears could only hear the sound of her heart's fast beat. Knowing not to take the situation lightly, Dorothy crawled away from the rock and back into the sky high grass. Her belly grazed along the dirt as she moved snail-like across the field. If she were to stand now, Damion was sure to find her.

An earful of shrieking was just what Damion needed to be set on the right track. He knew not to move too fast once he approached the location of the scream. Surely, being such a smart man, he knew the Deadly Desert was nearby. In fact, somehow he knew the precise location. He had only been in Spen Field once, but noticed the certain atmospheric change when near the desert. When almost a foot near the Deadly Desert, one would notice a rise in the temperature, and a sudden heavier wind to deal with. The only thing Damion needed to find out was which way Dorothy turned after she avoided such a terrifying place.

She caught her breath, which wasn't a good sign. Dorothy thought for sure she would be dead by the time she could feel the burning in her lungs stop. The stars in the night sky looked at her with pity. How could someone like her, so scared and alone, ever strike up the courage again to attempt murder? She took the dagger and held onto it as she belly-crawled.

Dorothy only had to look once to know it was him. The grass was still in the way, but she could see his white, button-up shirt that used to be under his jacket. Damion emerged through the grass, looking forwards and searching the area with murderous intention. Not moving a muscle, Dorothy stayed on the ground, face sideways as to see where he would go next. She watched as his foot was inches away from her stomach. Dorothy held her breath.

Though Damion felt a presence, he moved back one step and into the direction he came from. He truthfully needed a clue as to where to go. The confusion ate at his insides. He needed her soon. He wanted her dead body under his wrathful watch as he dragged her into the Emerald City to show off his triumph. This was no ordinary feeling of avengance. Damion lusted for blood.


	24. XXIV

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm so glad you guys actually like this fic. I know it's dark, but that was my initial intention. As for those who are just starting the story, ****you shouldn't be here unless you've read the other chapters!**** Hahahaha. Anyways, I hope you all like the way I'm doing this chapter. This is the **_**third**_** to last chapter, (of three extra-long chaps) and so I'm going to leave you with this note:**

**Thank you so much for joining me in this journey. I know that sometimes Oz fics are too lovey-dovey and happy, so I've enjoyed bringing such a change for you all. I will probably be writing another fic of Oz sometime soon, but I don't think this will have a sequel. I am asking though, please, if you could all write something in the reviews. I just want to know how this actually turned out. With the next chapter being the end, I have one last thing to say... Don't take life too seriously, or you might end up like Damion. hehe.**

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XXIV

Wobbling. Unbalanced and nervous. Dorothy stood up and walked in the opposite direction that Damion had. She held the dagger against her side to remember it was there. The bleeding from her ankle had clotted by now, for her sock acted as a tourniquet. Her mouth was dry, unlike the rest of her sweating body. Unexpectedly, she took a step too far and fell to the ground.

_I'm so thirsty,_ Dorothy thought as she stared at the sky. One star in particular was twinkling right at her. _I know I'll die now from dehydration._

"I knew you were there."

Dorothy's eyes fought to view a man towering over her.

"Crawling was a smart idea, but you didn't seem to get very far."

She swung the dagger in the air. Her vision was too blurry.

Damion crouched down beside Dorothy and examined her exhausted body. "You need rest."

"I . . . hate you." Dorothy blinked a few times and was soon able to see straight again. Damion's white shirt had been torn in half, his pants splattered with dirt. His black Ruby Slippers remained tight on his sore feet.

"You can't hate me," He said. "My killing you will only save you from more torment that this world gives to you. If I can rule, no one can interfere with your world anymore. . . With _our _world anymore."

Dorothy knew it was a stupid move. She stabbed the air again, but felt her wrists being held by Damion. He forced her hands onto the ground above her head.

"None of that now, Dorothy." He taunted, "Wouldn't want me to end up in a hospital this time, would you?"

Damion felt his bare chest hit the fabric of Dorothy's dress. He fought to take the dagger from her hand. With one of her hands free, Dorothy scratched his neck violently. A drop of blood broke through the cut and dribbled down his shoulder. The dagger, still in Dorothy's hands, soon found itself hurling through the air and into a thicket. Damion grunted and threw Dorothy's hands back onto the ground.

"Then I'll kill you with magic."

Instantly, Dorothy felt her body go limp. The Ruby Slippers glowed red and surrounded her with a warm pink light. Damion's hands let go of Dorothy's and aimed for her feet. She crawled backwards quickly, watching as Damion tried to take the slippers from her feet.

An orange spark shot at Damion as he touched one of the slippers. He lifted both of his hands in the air and let a dark blue puff of smoke fly at Dorothy's legs. Dumbstruck, Dorothy found herself unable to move fast enough. Her legs were heavy like lead and immobile.

Damion crawled over to Dorothy's body and looked into her eyes. "You thought I didn't have a reasonable amount of power left. Probably thought I couldn't win. Well, you're wrong."

"You son of a bitch!" Dorothy used all of her upper strength to support her fist as it crashed into Damion's jaw.

With immense aggression, Damion pinned Dorothy to the ground. She moved an inch off of the ground, certain to free herself. Suddenly, she felt a grown man fall on top of her. There was no way for her to move.

"Get off of me." Dorothy yelped.

Damion glued his eyes onto hers. "No," he hated the copper taste of his own blood.

_I'm going to die._

"Dorothy Gale," Damion spat, "beloved savior of Oz. All your life you have been celebrated, and all you did was spill water on an ugly old witch. How would you like it if your Aunt was beheaded in front of you? Or if your Uncle was murdered by a greedy little girl who wanted some lousy magical shoes. It doesn't take an accessory to be powerful, Dorothy. I've been waiting all my life for the moment where I could show the world how strength _should_ be acquired."

In something above a whisper, Dorothy said, "You are weak."

Silence muted the area. Damion felt Dorothy trembling underneath his body. She couldn't go anywhere or call for help. He would finally kill the one human being who had caused the misery in his life.

Dorothy saw the wisps of smoke this time, circling around their lying bodies playfully. Blue, red, and black smoke whose purpose was unknown. Dorothy felt the knot in her stomach grow. She felt lost in the dark entrapment of his eyes. Her own eyes filled with tears, unafraid to show themselves to such a heartless man.

Unspoken words traveled in Dorothy's head. She thought of things to say to prevent Damion from killing her, but knew it would fail. Her past childhood flashed like lightning bolts in her mind's eye. The moon began to set. Dorothy realized how beautiful it looked. Damion wondered what she was looking at, but knew not to disrupt his concentration. He needed to find the right spell to use to make sure this was the last time he ever saw his life enemy.

_Somewhere . . .over . . .the . . . rainbow . . ._

A pleasant melody reached Damion's ears. Dorothy had unintentionally began to hum her favorite lullabye.

The emotion on Damion's face completely vanished. He was neither disgusted nor annoyed by Dorothy's song.

"You . . ." Damion spoke, but found no ability to speak.

His head lowered, keeping his and her eyes locked in place. Damion felt a cold burst of wind on his back, caused by the swirling smoke. It grew larger and rose high into the air. The grass shrunk a bit, the curse of Spen Field fading somewhat. Dorothy's cheeks were cold from the tears rolling in so many directions.

Very gently, Damion barely touched Dorothy's lips with his own. She remained motionless on the ground.

Dorothy let a soft sigh escape. Damion pressed onto her, keeping his mouth open slightly, and closing it as he lifted his head an inch. Dorothy felt his grip on her hands loosen. She inhaled sharply as he slowly inched his hands into hers, and held them. His body now firmly on top of hers, Dorothy found her hormones racing with confusion. Damion continued his pattern of kissing, realizing he wasn't the only one who wanted it. His body was stiff, muscles aching with tension. Deeper and deeper he kissed her. Dorothy felt Oz spinning around them like a carousel.

Their mouths opened wider. Dorothy's senses tingled as Damion slipped his tongue into her mouth. She let go of his hands and carefully wrapped them around his torso. She immediately loved how smooth his back felt; Cold and hot and the same time. Damion glided his fingers behind Dorothy's head and lifted it.

Finally, Dorothy felt her legs at a usual weight. The black magic wore off.

"I can't . . ." Damion gulped a lump in his throat. "I can't hurt you."

A smile formed on Dorothy's red lips. "This is going to be complicated."

"I've decided," He lowered her head and backed up, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"What?" Dorothy asked, also regaining posture.

He stood up, staring at his hands. "If I kill myself, you won't have to deal with . . .Well, with me. I'm growing weaker by the second. The Ruby Slippers I have on are the clones. I have to . . ."

"But-"

"There's no other way." He motioned his hands in the direction of the smoke. "None of this will disappear unless I am dead to Oz."

Dorothy stood and frowned.

"Remember me forever, alright Dorothy Gale of Kansas?"

She nodded and felt her eyes flood again. No man had ever made her feel so adored and hated simutaneously. It drove her insane. And that's why she knew she had fallen for him.

Hands held high, Damion looked at the sky. His hands drew in all of the smoke, creating a ball of it in each hand. He closed his eyes and pressed the smoke against his bare chest. Damion's face quiverred with pain.

"Damion!" Dorothy shouted, but knew it was too late.


	25. XXV

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XXV

Fat flakes of snow fell gently from the pinkish hue of the dawn. The Emerald City had little to no hope for salvation. King Scarecrow tried not to show tears to the outside world, but couldn't help but let them free. He felt guilty for letting his world down. He contemplated the situation he was in; Would Damion come back and kill Scarecrow, or use him for another mischievous plot? Would Ozma ever be set free from her painted grave?

Nudge had believed in his army far more than anyone, including Trafford. He looked up at the snow as it fell upon his brow, melting and rolling down the back of his hair and down his cheek. The sky was beautiful, peaceful, and yet so intimiating. He lowered his head and a faint image of Klissa came into his mind. If only she could know how much he valued her friendship, and not just her position as a soldier.

In no time, Tin Man, Lion, and the others who had fallen under Damion's spell had set everyone free from the gnomes. The gnomes fled from the city quickly, back into their underground habitat. King Scarecrow was too worried about his friends to truly care about the gnomes. They obviously didn't want anything to do with the world above after being defeated so easily.

"Alright," Jack announced, "We've taken the injured into the Emergency Tower for care. We'll be moving them to the hospital soon."

Scarecrow turned to his friend and said, "That's a good idea considering we don't know what Damion is up to. Not only that, but Glinda has disappeared. There's no doubt in my mind that she was too weak to stay around."

"Well, we can still keep an eye on the Emergency Tower for the most part." Jack sighed. "What are we waiting for? I can't just stand here trying to help the harmed when we'll probably just end up dead!"

"Don't talk that way," Tin Man appeared. He half-smiled and said, "It's only a matter of time before Dorothy saves us."

Jack sideglanced at Scarecrow, and spoke softly. "She's been gone a long time."

0o0o0o0o

His thin and handsome body had disappeared into the air like evaporating water. Damion's plan was destroyed, and he was gone from Oz forever . . . At least, Dorothy hoped. She didn't understand the sudden surrender, even though it made sense for him to leave before the whole of Oz attacked him at such a weak state. Dorothy felt sorrowful in a way; She had never experienced such lust before, especially for someone so malicious. There was a time in Dorothy's life where she imagined dating a rebelious young man she met from school, but it wasn't a path she would actually take in life. Rebellion was abundant in her life. What she needed was someone to help her better herself and make her realize life _is _beautiful.

The first few snowflakes fell upon Dorothy's eyelashes as she looked to the sky. There was no sign of Glinda anywhere, though Dorothy didn't expect her to pop up just now. The Ruby Slippers on her feet remained, however Damion's were gone. However, Dorothy knew the ones on his feet were the doubles, and were destroyed right along with him. Unanswered questions swirled in her mind, making it hard to focus.

For a few moments, Dorothy let the snow fall on her as she walked through Spen Field. She slowly calmed down and started to picture the Emerald City in her mind's eye. With three clicks of her heels, the Ruby Slippers began to glow. Instantly, she was trapped in a blinding whirl and lifted off of the ground.

0o0o0o0o

Glinda's power had fully recovered before she even thought of stepping foot in Ozma's Great Castle. The ballroom was brightly lit as though no bad entity had ever been in it. In fact, Glinda had been relieved to see the entrance itself recovering from a binding spell to keep all visitors away. Ozma's Castle was restored to its original beauty and peace, symbolizing a victory.

"Ozma?" Glinda's voice bounced off the ballroom walls. "It's ok to come out now."

With one glance to the ceiling, Glinda saw no trace of Ozma anywhere. The curse had been lifted, but her graceful Queen was not responding.

"The spell was removed, Ozma. It must have been, for I could return to the castle with no trickery. The chandeliers sparkle with triumph, the floor rejoice because they are no longer stepped on with hatred, and the mirrors reflect only happiness. You can come out now, My Queen." Glinda heard soft footsteps, but was unaware of their origin.

She stood still like a beautiful porcelain doll. Her gown stopped flowing, glimmer fading with the moment. Glinda felt a sharp and terrifying sting strike her back. It dug into her flesh and into her muscle tissue. Her veins cried for mercy as her chest pounded harder and harder with each breath. What took seconds seemed like hours of agonizing pain. She rested her tear-filled eyes on a bloodied talon as it broke through the front of her body. Heart stopping instantly with its destructor. Glinda's mouth let out one final scream before falling to the marble floor.

The blood pooled around her frozen body like an aura.

0o0o0o0o

Ozma ran through the Emerald City, searching for one person. Everyone stared at her in awe, not sure of how to react to their Queen's return. Some smiled, some gasped, and one particular girl stood wide-eyed.

"Dorothy Gale!" Ozma reached her destination, as did Dorothy, who had arrived seconds ago.

"Ozma," Dorothy began, "You're alive!"

Being a queen was never easy. Ozma felt that she always had to respond very quickly, or it would be rude. She used to think so, but now everything was so much clearer. Life was more precious, friends were more important. The time she spent under Damion's curse was terrible, but made her remember the way she used to be years ago, when being Queen was not just a title.

"Are you alright?" Dorothy asked.

Ozma panted heavily, and sweat dripped from her body.

King Scarecrow immediately spotted Dorothy and Ozma. He ran as fast as he ever could.

The answer was on the tip of Ozma's tongue, but Scarecrow reached them first with a giant hug. He squeezed the two until they were almost breathless.

"You both survived!" Scarecrow assumed Ozma had arrived with Dorothy.

At last, Ozma found a second to grab their attention. "Wait," she announced. "You need to know . . . Dorothy, I've been running forever. It's not over."

"What are you talking about?" Dorothy questioned, "How did you even get here so quickly from your castle?"

Scarecrow noticed everyone circling around the three of them.

"I ran." Ozma said, "You_ know _I have powers of my own. Glinda blessed me with agility after I became queen in case I ever needed a quick escape."

"Gee, I guess so." Jack chimed in.

The Queen continued, "You don't understand. It's not over. You didn't-"

"**Look.**" Nudge shouted.

The entire city seemed to stop breathing. A white horse galloped with intense speed into the Emerald City towards Dorothy. Upon the steed sat Damion, looking more dishevelled than ever. Almost terrified.

"Kill him." Scarecrow yelled.

Dorothy panicked. "Scarecrow, no!"

Damion reached Dorothy. A mob formed around him, readying their weapons once again. Dorothy pushed through the crowd violently, finally seeing Damion's pale and sweaty face.

"Let him speak." Dorothy protested.

"Please," Damion stuttered, "I'm n-n-not here to fight. I have no weap-p- weapons and I am alone. Dorothy, you saw me attempt suicide for you. I failed. I ended up in pieces in front of the Great Castle. King Scarecrow, I must have your full attention. Please, all of you. . ."

Scarecrow frowned. "Fine, say what you must then we will kill you." He shot an odd glance at Dorothy.

She felt the mistrust grow between the crowd and herself. How bad it looked that she return without absolutely destroying such an evil man.

Ozma glared at Damion with hatred. She stayed next to Scarecrow and watched her friends prepare for another fight. Lion showed his sharp teeth after a fierce growl. Tin Man held his axe high. Jack held his Mom's hand and forced back the tears, saving them for a later time.

Damion gulped and held his hands together as if he were praying. "I heard Glinda enter the Great Castle, but saw something else exit. It was a red willowrig. The one she was riding earlier. It killed her."

"What?" Ozma said in disbelief, "You have no proof. Glinda wouldn't just die like that. It's a trick so we think you're a saint, right? Or a distraction."

"No." Damion went on, "I am weak, and have very little power left. But what I now must show you is proof of my truth."

Damion separated his hands and formed a cup around his mouth. He whistled in a high pitch, which echoed throughout the city. He then lowered his hands and turned his head to face the west.

Another horse entered the city, dragging a large cart behind it. The horse stopped next to the crowd and neighed softly. Scarecrow ran to the cart and inhaled sharply. It was plain to see who lie in the cart, for it had no top. Glinda's corpse was turned sideways. The Red Willowrig's foot lie next to her with its poisonous and deadly talon injected straight through her chest. No one made a sound.

The crowd dispersed and gave Damion room to breathe. Dorothy knew the tears filled everyone's sad eyes, including Damion's.

Dismounting the horse, Damion walked over to Kind Scarecrow.

"Even though I killed the beast, I'm sorry, Your Highness. When I bribed the willowrig, this one must have actually followed through. I guess sometimes revenge kicks you right back. Don't worry. I'll be forever leaving Oz."

Scarecrow had nothing to say except, "Fine. You are banned from Oz, and may never pass another glance into our world ever again."

Damion nodded and slowly made his way to Dorothy. Everyone else moved away from them and towards the cart. The shock of Glinda's death hung in the air like a bad smell. It seemed as though no one cared about Damion anymore.

With her head hung low, Dorothy had no idea what to say to this fallen angel of a man who stood before her.


	26. XXVI

_**Salve Regina**_

(Save The Queen)

XXVI

"It's remarkable how one thing can change the views of even the most stubborn people." Dorothy mumbled. She added, "I can see your innocence here, but don't understand why your spell didn't kill you instantly, since you're so powerful."

Damion felt the chilling air hit his chest and face. He ignored his want for warmth and went on with an explanation. "The smoke that mixed with my powers was supposed to kill me. When love and death collide with black magic, a curse more powerful than the magician is initiated."

"What are you talking about?"

"Glinda told you about it, I know she did. No matter what magic I use, I have the ability to love. She protected it. When it's used, it either completely destroys the creature on contact or . . ."

Dorothy looked into his dark eyes. "Or what?"

"Destroys all the magician's powers, leaving only a tiny bit of white magic left. I have nothing to prove, nor do I have any reason to stay here. But Dorothy, you need to do me a favor. Something you hadn't done before."

It only took a moment for Dorothy to realize Damion was barefoot. The magic really had been destroyed. She nodded with clear understanding and searched the ground around her. A dagger rested prominently among many other weapons. Dorothy took it from the ground and held it at her side.

"Go on already," The grown man gazed into Dorothy's eyes with compunction and regret.

Years of bad memories flooded back into his mind, suffocating his sour soul. Bitterness filled his heart. The pounding in his chest increased as Dorothy lifted the dagger. Eyes turned to her, wondering why she was doing something contradicting to her beliefs. Time moved slower than molasses, but left no room to crumble under pressure.

Damion's eyes widened. A chill trapped his body in place.

The dagger struck through his heart. An ear-piercing shriek escaped Damion's lips. The world stopped moving. Scarecrow was the first to run to Dorothy's side, but he seemed to be moving in slow-motion.

Damion clutched the dagger with both hands and held a facial expression of utter torment. He doubled over and looked up one last time into Dorothy's eyes.

"_Ding-Dong_," He spoke in a scratchy voice. "_the wizard's dead_."

His body fell forwards, but Dorothy and Scarecrow stopped his fall. Scarecrow layed him down on the ground, face up with the snow falling gently on his pasty face. Dorothy rested her head on his chest and began sobbing. The limp arms of Damion lay on the gravel. Blood dribbled out from his mouth and ran down along the side of his cheek. Glassy eyes were open wide, showing the dark, lifeless hue.

Scarecrow patted Dorothy on the shoulder. "You had to do it, hun. There was no other way for him to leave Oz. The Ruby Slippers on your feet can only be used for _you_ to leave, not another being. The wearers of the shoes can teleport others within the Oz boundaries, but your world isn't accessed by us. Damion was the only exception."

"I think it's time for me to go home." Dorothy stood up, looked at Scarecrow, and fainted.

0o0o0o0o

Snow continuously fell outside. Dorothy awoke in a white room with one very large window. The white light from the snow and sun spilled in and onto the walls like paint on an empty canvas. A knock on the door indicated someone had brought her in the room, and watched after her.

Tik-Tok was at the door, waiting with no words to say. He simply made a "come hither" motion and waited for Dorothy to follow him. She walked out of the room and noticed immediately that she was in a hospital. The walls were pale green and floors were exactly the emerald green of the city she had fought for. It was beautiful.

Once Tik-Tok and Dorothy exited the hospital, he told her to keep following him. A flood of people were walking east, towards the quieter, more barren part of the city.

"Where are we going?" Dorothy asked, but received no answer.

Once they arrived at their destination, there was no need to wonder. It was a cemetary. Dorothy made her way to the front of the croud and stood in awe. There were hundreds of gravestones, all gray with black lettering. Some taller than others, and some with stone wings attatched to each side. In the front, however, was an emerald statue of Glinda.

The funeral began and ended with adoration for those lost in Damion's War. As the snow fell harder, the citizens of the Emerald City huddled together and sobbed. Once it was over, Dorothy's friends let her be. They knew she would say goodbye later on.

Eventually alone in the cemetary, Dorothy contemplated her journey. She was grateful for how much Glinda had helped her not only from this adventure, but throughout her whole lifespan of experiences in Oz. Damion had opened up her eyes to see that life was precious and fragile. She looked at her hands long and hard, waiting to see a sign of blood stains somewhere. She was a murderer, and not ready to face the truth of it all.

Damion's gravestone was a few rows in, but Dorothy found it easily. She knelt down, feeling the cold snow on her knees, and began to cry. For once in her life, she realized how important love was. Though she barely knew Damion, her want for his touch remained. She thought it over and knew it wasn't just lust after him. He had been the only one to kiss her that way, or to look into her eyes with compassion. He had been planning her death only to be killed instead. How unfair life was, but provided lessons nonetheless. No more would Dorothy take her life for granted. She woudl appreciate everything from the plains of Kansas to her blessing of being able to visit such a wonderous world.

"If you must go," A voice spoke behind Dorothy. "then go."

She turned and grinned from ear to ear. Tin Man, Lion, Scarecrow, Tik-Tok, Jack, Ozma, Nudge, and Klissa stood in a line.

Dorothy sprinted towards Scarecrow and wrapped her arms around him. She stepped back and gazed at her friends.

"I'm sorry for treating you all the way I did when I first came back into Oz. I'd love to stay, but I think it's time for me to return home at last and face my life." Dorothy smirked.

Once more, Dorothy hugged her friends before a heartfelt departure.

"Come back if you miss us," Jack said.

"Thank you again, Dorothy. You'll have a place of power if you ever return. Perhaps Princess?" Ozma gleamed and remembered a time long ago when Dorothy first saved her.

Nudge held Klissa's hand and smiled. "This helped me find my heart, too, Dorothy. All you have to do is follow it."

With one final wave goodbye, Dorothy readied herself. She clicked her heels once. Twice. Three times. Soon, a whirlwind entrapped her and she closed her eyes. Her body was lifted from the ground instantly, and Oz was gone.

0o0o0o0o

The bathroom floor was uncomfortable underneath Dorothy's body. She opened her curious eyes to find herself back at the hospital in Kansas. She stood up slowly, cautious not to have a rush of blood to the head. The last thing she wanted was to be dizzy.

The surgical knife lay on the floor untouched and untainted. No blood was shed, and no one was killed in her world. Dorothy was back in Kansas, the world of which petty problems occurred and people fought over personal things such as religion, land ownership, or a silly disagreement or disliking. She knew no one could fathom such a thing as someone with black magic trying to take over an entire world, or a giant bird with poisonous talons striking the protector of that world. Oz would never again be the same, and would probably have trouble recovering from such deceit. However, Dorothy had faith in her friends. She knew they would raise a child to use white magic and become the next legendary _Good Witch_.

A thought soon struck Dorothy with such strength, she shouted with half joy and half emberassment for not realizing it earlier.

Her feet struck the tiles quickly. She no longer cared about getting caught. She no longer cared about comforming to every single rule in the hospital. Dorothy would chase after her epiphany like a child to the end of the rainbow. She ran up flights of stairs and down a long hallway. She was on the fifth floor, where people who had no hope for life or barely hung on strings

Dorothy peeked in every room until she found her way to the end of the hallway. The last room, lit by only a single candle held a familiar body. Dorothy stepped in quietly and saw him. A handsome man with dark brown hair, closed eyes, and a thin and healthy body. He was in a hospital gown, but still looked gorgeous to Dorothy.

"Damion?" She whispered.

Nothing.

She walked closer to the body, separated by only the end of the hospital bed.

Damion turned his head towards Dorothy and opened his eyes.

"Hi." Dorothy whispered.

He spoke softly, "Hello there."

"Did you plan this?"

"Being in the same hospital? Yes. My backup plan in case you defeated me was to follow you in Kansas too. However, circumstances are different this time around."

"How so?" Dorothy moved a strand of stray hair.

"This time," Damion smiled sweetly, "I've fall-"

A doctor came into the room and abrubptly said, "S'cuse me. You don't belong in here. I'm going to have to ask-" He noticed Damion's state of wake. "Damion King, is it? You're awake!"

"Yes, seems that I am."

The doctor was stunned. "You've been in a coma for weeks. I'll go get the nurse. You, young lady, don't you belong in your room?"

"I'm visiting my friend," Dorothy blurted. "I missed him, and remembered he was in this hospital too. My Aunt and Uncle will be here to get me in the morning, so please just let me say my goodnight, Dr."

"Fine," The doctor adjusted his tie and said, "but make it quick." He left the room, but would soon return with more company.

Drothy faced Damion once more and felt a stinging in her eyes. Her throat swelled up as she tried to hold back painful tears.

"I want to get to know the real you, Damion." She admitted.

Damion replied, "And I want to start on a new foot. Oz is nothing to us but a memory now, especially for me. I hope to see you in the morning, and weeks upon weeks from then on. What you don't know about me is that I have lived a few farms away from you this whole time, and not once have you noticed me."

"Well that doesn't matter now. I have a feeling things will be much better. And I have faith that you will prove to be the good man Glinda thought you to be. She doesn't protect the ability to love for just anybody, you know."

Dorothy sat on the hospital bed for a moment and kissed Damion's cheek. There was a certain essence of vitality in the air, along with calm and joyful emotions. A chance of something new and exciting hung over their heads like halos. There were no more rainbows to chase, yellow brick roads to walk on, or witches to fight. But it didn't bother either one of them. It was time to grow up.

Though the night was almost over, the journey of Oz at an end, Dorothy knew in her heart of hearts that life for her started now, with the most misunderstood and misplaced man she'd ever known.

And she loved it.


End file.
